Venezuelan migrants protest after Ecuador shuts border crossing to them

Ecuador shut its border on Monday to hundreds of Venezuelans waiting to cross, as new restrictions from Quito on migrants fleeing the OPEC nation come into effect. Ecuador now requires a visa for Venezuelan citizens, part of stricter immigration policies being implemented in several countries.

More than 85,000 Venezuelan migrants crossed into Ecuador from Colombia in the last month ahead of the new measures. But this group of migrants were not so lucky. Some 320,000 Venezuelans currently live in Ecuador. The government estimates that figure could increase to nearly half a million by the end of the year.