Judge Bans Venezuelans from Entering Brazil through Roraima Border

08/07/2018 - 07h58

A Roraima federal judge suspended the entry of Venezuelan immigrants in the Brazilian border until a "numeric balance" was achieved with the process of distributing these immigrants throughout the country.

The decision, issued on Sunday (5) by the federal judge Helder Girão Barreto, from Roraima's First State Court, was limited to the entry by the border between the towns of Pacaraima, in Brazil, and Santa Elena de Uairén, in Venezuela, and it didn't encompass other countries' nationals.

On Monday evening (6), the border was closed by the Brazilian Federal Police, in order to enforce the ruling.

Brazil's Attorney General's office said that it is planning to file a petition to challenge the decision. The Federal Public Defender's office released a statement that the public defender working on the case, Aline Papazis, would also appeal.

Soon after the STF denied the request to close the border with Venezuela.

President Michel Temer's office opposed the closing of the borders.

Roraima governor Suely Campos (PP) issued a decree last Wednesday (1) that demanded Venezuelan immigrants to show valid passports to be assisted by the state health and education networks.

In practice, the measure shut the immigrants off these services, since most of them cross the border with no documents. Since then, other public agencies stopped receiving Venezuelans asking for services.

	Nacho Doce
	The volume of immigrant transfers to other Brazilian states is, according to Roraima government officials, is considerably smaller than the total of Venezuelans crossing the border

From the state's 15 townships, there are homeless Venezuelans in at least 10. There are 10 temporary shelters to assist them, nine in the capital Boa Vista and one in Pacaraima.

Translated by NATASHA MADOV

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