Lula to repatriated nationals: “May you find in Brazil the happiness that was taken away from you”

A flight carrying countless stories of hope and relief—and of happiness and emotion upon arriving in Brazil after leaving behind the sound of military planes and sirens, as well as the thunder and tremors caused by bombs. “It feels like I have left hell and entered paradise,” defined Salim Calaun, one of the 229 passengers rescued on the first flight of Operation Cedar Roots. On arrival, there was a reception organized by various areas of the Federal Government and the presence of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the São Paulo Air Base.

“I hope you find the happiness in Brazil that was taken away from you by this bombing, and that we can rebuild our lives in peace here in Brazil. You know that Brazil harbors around eight or nine million Arab citizens and their descendants, most of them Lebanese. We are grateful, because you helped build the city of São Paulo, the state of São Paulo and Brazil. You have a lot of responsibility for what we are,” stressed Lula, addressing the returnees and the press.

“Brazil is generous. It has no disputes with any country because we do not want war. War only destroys. When you do not lose your life, you lose schools, hospitals, doctors—all the things that bring peace. Peace is what builds,” added the president.

Lebanon's Consul General in São Paulo, Rudy El Azzi, thanked Brazil for the Roots of the Cedar mission and for all the support given to the country. “On behalf of the people of Lebanon, the Lebanese community in Brazil, I want to thank President Lula and the Brazilian government. We need the support of Brazil and the world. They say that Brazil is a giant by its very nature. It is also giant in its heart and welcome,” he said.

Brazil is generous. It has no disputes with any country because we do not want war. War only destroys. When you do not lose your life, you lose schools, hospitals, doctors—all the things that bring us peace. Peace is what builds” - Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the Republic

NEW MISSION - After the first mission of Operation Cedar Roots was concluded, the commander of the Air Force, Marcelo Kanitz Damasceno, revealed that the second mission will begin this Sunday. “This aircraft (the FAB's KC-30) is now taking off back to Lisbon, changing the crew, so that tomorrow (7/10) we can make the same circuit and bring in another 230 people in 48 hours. We have to try to get around 500 people a week here at the São Paulo air base.'' The Brazilian community in Lebanon adds up to around 20,000 people. Three thousand have expressed an interest in returning.

EMOTION - Abdalah Fares' wife and two daughters were the first to disembark. Lebanese flag in hand and wearing shirts with the flags of Lebanon and Brazil, the three took part in a symbolic moment of friendship between the nations, and were embraced by Abdalah, who was waiting at the foot of the stairs. “I would like to thank the government once again for bringing my family back to Brazil safe and sound,” said Abdalah. “ I am very sad for the people who are still in Lebanon, who have not yet been rescued,” added Lara Fares, 13. “The schools are occupied, many people have been displaced by this war, people who have nothing to do with Hezbollah,” added her father. 

TO THE WOMEN - Also present at the reception, the First Lady, Janja, gave a special greeting to the women and children who had recently arrived in Brazil. “I would like to express my special affection for all the women and children arriving in Brazil today and to say that our hearts go out to the women and children who have stayed—and to again send a message to the men of the world: please stop killing our women and children, stop this war. The world needs peace,” stated Janja.

RELIEF - Married to a Lebanese citizen, Sandra Joane Maffei, 59, had been in Lebanon since March with her husband and his son, and showed enormous relief on arrival. “ It is the greatest joy in the world, because living in a country at war, where you cannot leave, where at any moment a car is bombed, a building near where you used to live, is terrible. You can’t sleep. There is noise every night, from airplanes, bombs, the windows shake. It is a joy (to return to Brazil). Especially since I am Brazilian, right?”

BOMBING AND PET - At 28, translator Nessryn Khalaf landed in Guarulhos alongside her mother, sister and her cat, Lili, one of the three pets brought on this first flight. “This was our only hope, because we had no way out of Lebanon. I am very grateful to the government and for the fact that the President really sees what is happening in Lebanon. We need more countries to do the same thing, because many Brazilian women are still in Lebanon, on the streets, some pregnant, with small children, and I hope the government continues with this mission,” Nessryn recalled. Unfortunately, she had to leave her father and grandmother in Beirut. “When we fled, it was me and my family, everyone who was at home. But we came to Brazil with just me, my mother and my sister. My father had to stay because he looks after my grandmother, who is sick. It would be impossible, because she is already in hospital, she does not walk anymore, and she would have to be evacuated by ambulance, right? And this is impossible at the moment.

RECEPTION - The crew of the KC-30 included a multidisciplinary team of three doctors, two nurses and two psychologists to ensure that they were welcomed and assisted. And when the plane touched down on the runway at Guarulhos Air Base, the Brazilians already had a reception from the Federal Government at their disposal. A group of 35 professionals from the Ministries of Justice and Public Security, Health, Human Rights, Foreign Affairs and Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight against Hunger were on hand.

ACCOMMODATION - Officials from the Federal Police, Anvisa and the Federal Revenue Service have been assigned to facilitate the immigration process. Fifteen members of the SUS National Force were deployed to provide emergency care and update vaccination books. They have all been trained in ethical and cultural issues and how to behave when receiving returnees from Lebanon.

“There is an urgent and emergency care, welcoming care, to see the first signs and symptoms of an aggravation, of an acute chronic illness. And there is the first psychological care, the approach to see if what they are feeling is expected to be normal, or if there is some intervention we need to make,” explained Renato Oliveira Santos, focal point of the field mission of the National SUS Force. “It is important to say that the teams were divided between men and women who speak Portuguese, Arabic or French. They are mixed teams so that we can have fluid communication,” added Debora Noal, mental health and psychosocial care focal point for the National SUS Force.

A task force between the MRE and Justice indicated places to stay and guidance on how to move around within the country. The Ministry of Social Development (MDS) has set up a team of social workers to deal with cases in which the family no longer has defined links in Brazil. The Ministry works on a shelter policy and assesses situations of vulnerability in order to speed up access to the Unified Registry and programs such as Bolsa Família.

MIGRATION - In addition to the teams from the ministerial fronts, the returnees will be accompanied by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Migration Agency. The IOM, alongside the MDS, will conduct interviews to assess protection and documentation needs.

RETURNING IN PEACE - The repatriation and reception actions are similar to those carried out by the Federal Government in October 2023, in Operation Returning in Peace, which repatriated more than 1,500 Brazilians and more than 50 pets from the conflict zones in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Israel.

PETS - The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock has maintained the flexibility of rules for the entry of dogs and cats. The guidelines make it easier for these animals to enter Brazil. The International Agricultural Surveillance units, in conjunction with the Coordination of Transit and National Integration of Cargo and Passengers (Coordenação de Trânsito e Integração Nacional de Cargas e Passageiros), now adopt a special protocol for pets coming from the Middle East. The procedure allows guardians to enter with their pets without immediately presenting the documents required under normal conditions.

MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS - The KC-30 used on this first repatriation flight is an aircraft with around 240 seats, a range of up to 14,500 kilometers and has been used several times on humanitarian flights to rescue Brazilians in the conflict zones in Israel and Gaza since the beginning of the Middle East crisis. At 59 meters long, it is the largest aircraft operated by the FAB. It can be used for strategic operations, logistical support and humanitarian missions. In cases of calamity, such as natural disasters or medical emergencies, it can also carry out Aeromedical Evacuation missions for multiple patients.

WHAT IT IS - Operation Cedar Roots was ordered by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva following the escalation of the confrontation between Israel and the Hezbollah group, which operates in Lebanon. The logistics of repatriation involve the use of Brazilian Air Force aircraft personnel and intense coordination by Itamaraty. Minister Mauro Vieira holds frequent talks with the foreign ministers of Lebanon and neighboring countries with the aim of organizing the rescue safely.