Foreign residents in Brazil being turned, despite right to enter

The most worrying development of the Covid-19 pandemic in recent months has been the emergence of new and more contagious variants in Brazil, the United Kingdom, and South Africa — countries in which the virus was largely allowed to spread unchecked. This has led to a series of flight restrictions to and from these countries, with the British government banning air arrivals from Brazil, and a similar prohibition being put in place for flights going in the opposite direction.

On January 8, the Brazilian Office of the Chief of Staff issued Ordinance No. 651, which deals with “the exceptional and temporary restriction of foreigners of any nationality entering the country,” imposing a ban on all flights arriving from Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as well as barring the entry of all visitors from the country.

The same rule lays out exceptions to this rule, namely for Brazilian nationals and foreigners with permanent residence visas in the country. These individuals would be permitted entry, providing they...