Recife, 5/10/2004 (Agência Brasil) - Brazil is about to adopt new procedures for dealing with foreigners who enter the country by stowing away on ships and landing at ports in São Luis, Recife, Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Rio Grande.

The idea, according to Douglas Martins, a Human Rights expert at the Secretariat for Racial Equality, is to set up a commission with representatives from the Federal Police, sanitation authorities, NGOs and shipping companies which will ensure that stowaways get proper legal assistance. The police will make sure the person is not involved in international crime.

At the moment, Brazilian legislation requires that stowaways be jailed (prisão administrativa), although some jurists consider that unconstitutional.

Martins points out that repatriation is not always the best solution. In some cases an illegal immigrant can obtain refugee status. "Brazil has international obligations to accept refugees who do not have access to human rights in their countries of origin," he says.

With regard to ten young Africans who arrived in Recife as stowaways on a Chinese ship last November, Martin explained that two of them had UN documents proving their status as refugees and were allowed to remain in Brazil. The other eight stowaways are in custody awaiting a decision on how they will make their return trip to Africa.

Translator: Allen Bennett