The first group of repatriates from Lebanon took off from Portugal this Saturday (5), on the KC-30, a Brazilian Air Force (FAB) plane, bound for the São Paulo Air Base, in Guarulhos (SP).
The Operation Raízes do Cedro flight will last 9:40 am, with arrival in Brazil at 9:30 am (Brasília time) this Sunday (6).
Aircraft left Beirut Airport with 229 people, in addition to the crew and three domestic animals. The FAB made a technical stop in Lisbon before starting the journey to São Paulo.
“The plan is to rescue people who expressed interest in returning to Brazil, with priority for the elderly, women, children, pregnant women and people with disabilities”, posted President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on his Instagram profile.
In the KC-30 crew, there is a multidisciplinary team with three doctors, two nurses and two psychologists to guarantee reception and assistance.
The flight resembles the profile of the 13 that were made in Operation Returning in Peace, carried out in 2023 to rescue almost 1,600 Brazilians and more than 50 domestic animals from conflict zones in Israel, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock continued to relax rules for the entry of dogs and cats accompanying repatriated citizens and refugees.
The guidelines facilitate the process of entry of these animals into Brazil. As a result, the International Agricultural Surveillance (Vigiagro) units, together with the Transit Coordination and National Integration of Cargo and Passengers, are now adopting a special protocol for pets from the Middle East.
The procedure allows guardians to enter with their pets without immediately presenting the health documents required under conditions.
(With information from Gustavo Zanfer and Leonardo Ribbeiro, from CNN)
