RIO DE JANIERO, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Michel Temer and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence are expected to discuss the situation of Brazilian children separated from their migrant parents in the United States, said government news agency Agencia Brasil on Monday.
Pence will arrive in Brazil for a two-day visit on Tuesday. It will be the first high-level meeting between Brazil and the United States since Temer took office in mid-2016, following the impeachment of his predecessor, Dilma Rousseff.
According to Fernando Simas Magalhaes, undersecretary for Multilateral Political Matters for Europe and North America, the situation of over 40 Brazilian children who have been separated from their parents and are being kept in shelters will receive "special and concrete treatment" at the meeting.
Magalhaes said that Temer will express his worries about the treatment of Brazilian citizens, adding that "our concern with the dignity of these families and children" would be made clear.
The United States has received severe criticism over the child separation policy. Images of the cage-like shelters, with children having only tinfoil blankets to keep warm caused international uproar. The worldwide criticism eventually led U.S. president, Donald Trump, to sign a decree halting the separations.
However, family reunifications have been slow. There are still thousands of children separated from their parents, including several Brazilian citizens.
According to Magalhaes, Brazilian diplomatic staff in the United States have reported difficulties in locating the children.
