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Number of Venezuelans seeking refuge in Brazil surges

Xinhua, September 5, 2016 Adjust font size:

Demands for refugee status by Venezuelans crossing the land border with Brazil in the northern state of Roraima have been surging in the last two years.

Brazil news portal G1 reported on Sunday that figures from the National Council of Refugees showed nine Venezuelans had asked for refuge status after crossing the border in 2014, before climbing to 230 in 2015 and topping 600 between January and August.

Brazil offers a refugee visa to any person who has been persecuted on grounds of race, religion, nationality, social group or political affiliations in their country of origin. It can also be granted to those coming from countries where the population suffers from human rights violations.

In 2015, Brazil received over 28,000 refugee requests, mostly from Syria, Angola and Colombia. Endi