Brazil will deploy 3,200 servicemen to the northernmost state of Roraima, located on border with Venezuela, due to the large influx of migrants from the crisis-torn country, Brazilian Defense Minister Joaquim Silva e Luna said.
RIO DE JANEIRO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th August, 2018) Brazil will deploy 3,200 servicemen to the northernmost state of Roraima, located on border with Venezuela, due to the large influx of migrants from the crisis-torn country, Brazilian Defense Minister Joaquim Silva e Luna said.
"The squad, which is to be sent, is the 1st infantry brigade ... totaling 3,200 troops, all of them will take part in this mission," Silva e Luna said.
Brazilian President Michel Temer ordered on Wednesday to deploy forces to Roraima to help ensuring the safety of Brazilian citizens and the Venezuelan migrants, who fled their country in search of refuge in Brazil.
The defense minister explained that the military will be mainly involved in "strengthening" the border control of migrants from Venezuela, to make each migrant pass through a checkpoint.
According to the UN Migration Agency, the flow of migrants from Venezuela increased more than tenfold over the past years � from 89,000 in 2015 to 900,000 in 2017. About 500 Venezuelans cross the Brazilian border through Roraima every day.
Venezuela has been struggling with political and economic crises, including a shortage of goods, galloping inflation and a fall in government revenues caused by a decline in oil prices. As a result, many Venezuelans have been seeking asylum in other countries.
