Surviving the Amazon, Defying Borders: Afghan Migrants’ Path to the U.S.

In the past three years, a lesser-known migration route has been added to the well-known paths for Afghan migrants that previously included only Iran, Turkey, the Balkans, and Central Europe. Many Afghan migrants, despite the risk of death or falling into the hands of ruthless drug traffickers and criminal gangs, have taken this route, which begins in Brazil and, by crossing 11 countries in South America, leads to the United States.

Afghans started on this path in September 2021, after the collapse of the Afghan Republic and the return of the Taliban to power, when Brazil announced it would issue humanitarian visas for Afghans whose lives were at risk for political and security reasons. Thousands of Afghans who had taken refuge in Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey out of fear of the Taliban applied for Brazil’s humanitarian visa, and some succeeded in obtaining it.

Hossam Alizada

By late 2023, Brazil’s government, through its consulates in Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Qatar, and the UAE, had issued around 12,000 humanitarian visas for Afghan citizens. Subsequently, the issuance of these visas was limited to Brazil's consulates in Pakistan and Iran.

However, Afghan visa holders arriving in Brazil found that building a better future there was challenging, prompting many to seek alternative paths. One such Afghan, Hossam Alizadeh, formerly employed at a radio station in Balkh before the fall of the Republic, left Afghanistan after realizing his life was in danger under Taliban rule. After a period in Iran with limited work and living opportunities, Alizadeh went to the Brazilian embassy in Tehran, where he obtained a humanitarian visa.

Speaking from Mexico City, Alizadeh described how upon his arrival in Brazil, he discovered Afghan migrants traveling in groups of 5 to 30 people were braving a perilous route with the help of human traffickers to reach the United States. A day after arriving in São Paulo, he met a group of 24 Afghans in a temporary shelter who were also heading to the U.S. After researching living conditions and opportunities in Brazil, Alizadeh realized that it was difficult to find education, employment, or prospects for a better life. Like many Afghan migrants, he left Brazil in pursuit of the American dream.

While many migrants eventually reach the United States, some are stuck in Mexico City, living in challenging conditions and awaiting the chance to enter the U.S. Legally, they are faced with the option of entering the U.S. either legally or illegally. Alizadeh, who arrived in Mexico City after a nearly 8,000-kilometer journey from São Paulo, registered for asylum in hopes of legal migration, though others risk entering the U.S. through illegal routes.

The journey from Brazil to the U.S. is filled with danger, particularly when crossing the Amazon and Panama jungles, along with constant evasion of border patrols along the way. According to Alizadeh, border guards in some countries accept bribes and allow migrants to pass, but falling into the hands of criminal gangs poses risks of death and hostage situations.

Afghan and other political refugees seeking to enter the U.S. from Mexico face serious concerns about the outcome of the upcoming U.S. elections, as it could drastically change immigration policies. Alizadeh, like many migrants in Mexico City, fears that a return to power by Donald Trump, who has pledged to strengthen border security and limit immigration, could stop the issuance of visas and make entry into the U.S. more difficult.

Despite recent tightening of migration policies to Western countries, including the U.S. and Europe, the ongoing control of Afghanistan by the Taliban, rising poverty, unemployment, and the closure of educational institutions and workplaces to women have driven many Afghan families to migrate. For thousands of migrants from around the world, the upcoming U.S. elections will be pivotal, especially for Afghans awaiting visas, who are filled with anxiety and hope about their futures.

This is the revised version of my report for Independent Persian. The original version was published in Farsi/Dari.