RIO DE JANEIRO, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's President Michel Temer Friday said closing the northern border with Venezuela is unthinkable.
Brazil's northern Roraima state filed a suit in the Supreme Court earlier in the day asking to temporarily close the border with Venezuela to prevent Venezuelan immigrants from entering.
"Closing borders is not a habit of Brazil. Brazil would not close borders, and I hope that is the understanding of the Supreme Court," Temer, who is currently attending the Summit of the Americas in Peru, said.
For over a year, Roraima has been receiving a high influx of immigrants from Venezuela, which is in the middle of a major economic crisis.
Roraima Governor Maria Suely Campos told a local TV station that 500 to 700 people cross the border to enter the state every day and it can't handle the influx.
The state government told the Supreme Court that Roraima, Brazil's "poorest state", cannot offer mandatory services such as public education and healthcare because of the "uncontrolled" increase in the number of immigrants.
Temer said the state's demands for measures to handle the population increase are being met.
"I have just read the petition and I noticed that many of the measures requested are already being taken, such as the shipment of resources and personnel who are going there to provide social assistance and medical care," he said.
