Colombia continues to help Venezuelan migrants

cucuta - Colombia has tightened border controls by deploying more than 2,000 additional military personnel, but continues to help the hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans who have fled the misery at home. President Juan Manuel Santos promised Thursday in Cucuta, where many migrants enter the country. His government is spending millions on their reception.

According to the immigration service, the number of Venezuelans living in Colombia rose by 62 percent to over 550,000 in the last half of 2017. Many arrive destitute and are forced to sleep in porticoes or under bridges. They try to scrape together with poorly paid chores, including flowers for Valentine's Day, to raise enough money to feed their children and themselves.

Santos said that for the time being no more day passes will be issued and that strict action will be taken against criminal behavior. There will be a new registration system for Venezuelans who are already in Colombia and a center that will organize humanitarian aid with the United Nations. The government estimates that it costs $ 5 a day to provide a refugee with food and shelter.