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A Venezuelan family crossing the border with Brazil to find refuge. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that 500 Venezuelans are emigrating to Brazil every day. AFP Photos / Nelson Almeida

Brazil granted refugee status to 21,432 Venezuelans in one go. It was the National Refugee Committee (Conare) that took this express decision, because of the seriousness of the human rights situation in Venezuela.

With our correspondent in Sao Paulo, Martin Bernard

This is an exceptional measure that the Conare has just taken. In a single session, the Brazilian Ministry of Justice service issued refugee status to 21,432 Venezuelans who crossed the border, fleeing the scarcity and political crisis in their country. In general, the procedure takes at least two years.

This mass recognition of refugee status is justified, according to Brazil, by a " serious and widespread violation of human rights " in Venezuela under the presidency of Nicolas Maduro, successor of Hugo Chávez. Now, Venezuelans meeting the necessary criteria will be able to go through this accelerated procedure

The United Nations welcomes this decision and the establishment of this procedure The Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees believes that this is an important step towards the protection of refugees in the region.

►To read also: Big report - Venezuela: the forgotten ones of the migration

There are currently about 240,000 Venezuelans in Brazil. The number of Venezuelans fleeing their country to Brazil would be 500 per day. But the total number of Venezuelans who have fled their country exceeds three million, according to the UN, most refugees in Colombia and Peru.