The influx of Brazilians into the country was largely a result of Brazil's recent mining policies.
Significant federal enactments in the early 1990s, saw mining areas curtailed, and mining activity severely restricted, in part due to the growing environmental concern for forest land.
[2] In Brazil, the issue of mining in areas like Roraima was also linked to the rights of indigenous peoples.
While some high-income Brazilian miners and workers can afford the plane journey from Boa Vista as a means of entering the country, others use the time-tested routes of land and water.
Guyanese police have regularly raided Brazilian hotels to apprehend illegal residents.