São Paulo and Amazonas Will Receive 530 Venezuelans Who Are In Roraima

02/22/2018 - 10h30

At the beginning of March, the government will transfer 530 Venezuelan refugees who are in the state of Roraima to the states of São Paulo and Amazonas. The decision was made in a meeting of the federal committee for emergency assistance that took place on Wednesday (the 21st) at the Planalto Palace.

According to Chief of Staff Eliseu Padilha, 180 will be sent to Amazonas and 350 to São Paulo - mayor João Doria has indicated that the capital itself will be receiving 300 of these.

The Venezuelans will be transferred to locales with spots available in shelters and jobs previously arranged and agreed to with local authorities, with an overall capacity for 1,500 refugees including a supply of food and medicines as well as medical assistance.

The initial operation will cost the federal government around R$ 70 million (US$ 21.4 million).

Single men, with professional qualifications and who have demonstrated that they wish to remain in Brazil will be transferred. They are currently in quarantine after having received vaccinations against diseases like the measles and yellow fever.

The government's plan is to follow the example of what was done in 2015 with Haitian refugees who were transferred from the State of Acre to the States of São Paulo, Paraná and Santa Catarina to work primarily in meat packing facilities.

More than 40,000 Venezuelans have crossed over the border and are camped out in the cities of Boa Vista and Pacaraima, where they are severely taxing the public health system.

Translated by LLOYD HARDER

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	Avener Prado - 21.jul.2016/Folhapress
	Venezuelans walk across the border from Venezuela into the Brazilian city of Pacaraima, Roraima state