Invisible Exile: Between Benzodiazepines and Potatoes
"Deliveroo driver arrested after returning to airport to collect bag containing €24,000 worth of pills." This was the headline published by the portal Irlanda.com via Instagram. The article reports that a Brazilian was accused of transporting 11,730 benzodiazepine pills, anxiolytic medications, for sale or distribution. In his statement, he claimed they were for personal use, but the sheer quantity raised questions about potential commercialization among immigrants and within the Brazilian community in the comments. The reflection I propose here goes beyond what is right or wrong; rather, what leads a Brazilian to carry such a large quantity of controlled medication? Necessity? Opportunity? Demand? Is the Brazilian community in Ireland more anxious and depressed? Is this being part of immigration process, and the need for a more welcoming perspective and supporting network, revealing its hidden facets?