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Case of Fatmata Sessay exposes a wait marked by pending documents, social assistance, judicial decision, and attempt of family reunion after months at Belém International Airport, where the immigrant from Sierra Leone awaits conditions to continue her journey to Panama.
Fatmata Sessay, a citizen of Sierra Leone, continues living at Belém International Airport, in Pará, while she awaits the regularization of documents to try to travel to Panama and reunite with her 15-year-old son.
Identified by Folha de S.Paulo as being 56 years old, the immigrant has been at the terminal for about six months and had her flight rescheduled for August 15, after failing to board this Monday (22) due to pending documents.
Trip to Panama depends on documents
Initially scheduled for June 22, the trip was to be made with a ticket provided by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Pará, but had to be postponed due to lack of documents required for international travel.
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According to prosecutor Nadilson Portilho, who is following the case, there were still pending issues related to the international yellow fever vaccination card, the visa, and proof of income.
With the repercussion of the case, reports emerged that Fatmata sleeps in the airport lounge and relies on municipal services for food and bathing.
During the day, she attends the Specialized Reference Center for the Homeless Population, known as Centro Pop, where she receives basic support while awaiting a solution to leave the country.
Journey involved robberies and loss of passport
According to Folha de S.Paulo, Fatmata stated that she left São Paulo, where she had lived for 18 years, at the end of 2025, with the aim of locating her son in Panama.
On the way, the immigrant claims to have faced a series of difficulties, including a robbery in Peru and the need to continue the journey with the help of volunteers until reaching Suriname.
After boarding from Suriname to Belém, she reported losing her passport in a robbery that occurred in the capital of Pará, an incident that would have prevented the continuation of her journey.
The circumstances of the case were referred to the responsible agencies and still depend on investigation by the competent authorities, especially because the document was essential for her to continue her journey.
Federal Court ordered consular assistance
The Federal Court in Pará got involved in the case after a request from the Federal Public Ministry and ordered, on Friday (19), that the Government of Pará and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ensure consular assistance to the immigrant.
Signed by Judge Maria Carolina Valente do Carmo, from the 1st Federal Civil Court, the decision provided for measures to regularize the necessary documentation for the trip.
Among the measures cited by the court order were procedures with the diplomatic representation of Sierra Leone, based in Washington, as well as obtaining the visas required for entry into Colombia and Panama.
With these measures, the aim was to allow Fatmata to proceed with the planned route, provided she met the migration requirements defined by the countries involved in the journey.
Itamaraty and government are monitoring the case
Itamaraty informed Folha that it communicated the Government of Pará about the situation and forwarded the matter to the Department of Migrations of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.
At the same time, the department stated that it does not mediate visas for third countries on behalf of Brazilians or foreigners, which keeps part of the solution dependent on other institutional channels.
In another report, UOL informed that Fatmata has a regular Brazilian immigrant visa and was barred when trying to proceed to Panama, before being sent back to the capital of Pará.
Contacted by the portal, the Government of Pará stated that it has provided assistance to the immigrant on different occasions and continues to work on integrated support actions.
Airport became a refuge during the wait
Even with offers of shelter, Fatmata attributes her stay at the airport to the sense of security she claims to find in the terminal.
Nadilson Portilho told Folha that the authorities are trying to convince her to accept another type of shelter, but she has preferred to remain at the location while waiting for the release of documents.
When she received the news that a ticket would be purchased by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the immigrant was moved and thanked the prosecutor handling the case.
“No one helped me here. Only you bought my ticket. Thank you very much,” she said, in a statement published by the press.
Social support and mobilization in Belém
The City Hall of Belém reported, according to accounts published about the case, that it has been monitoring the immigrant’s situation since December 2025, offering social assistance and registering Fatmata in the Bolsa Família program.
Despite the support received, her routine continues to be marked by waiting at the airport, where she improvises a place to sleep and maintains the expectation of gathering the necessary documents to continue her journey.
The mobilization around the case also reached residents of Belém, who began to seek out the immigrant to offer help during the period of uncertainty.
Among those who were moved by the situation is housewife Carla Livramento, who offered to host her temporarily until the procedures for the trip to Panama are completed.
In addition to municipal assistance, the case involves the actions of the State Public Prosecutor’s Office, a request from the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office, a decision by the Federal Court, and a statement from the Itamaraty.
Even with the ticket rescheduled, Fatmata still depends on the completion of bureaucratic steps to try to leave Belém and resume her search for her son.
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