RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Michel Temer announced on Tuesday that the government decided to deploy armed forces in the border state of Roraima to restore order disrupted by an immigration crisis.
Tens of thousands of Venezuelan immigrants entered Brazil through the state in the past year. The significant rise in population caused tensions in Roraima, where, earlier in the month, xenophobic groups attacked hundreds of immigrants.
Local citizens and authorities complain that the federal government has ignored the situation in Roraima without providing necessary aid.
The government said it has been working to move the immigrants to other states in order to reduce the burden on Roraima. However, immigrants in the border state continues to rise as the number of new arrivals exceeds those who are moved by the government to other places.
According to the Brazilian government, between 2015 and June 2017, about 56,700 Venezuelan immigrants sought refuge or permanent residence in Brazil, but the number of Venezuelans who entered the country in this period is believed to be much higher.
