In a joint statement, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) have asked this Tuesday to increase international support for refugees and migrants from Venezuela and the communities of Latin America and the Caribbean that host them.
Nearly 7.2 million Venezuelans have left their country in recent years. The vast majority, six million are hosted by countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Although many of them have accessed essential rights and services through various regularization and documentation initiatives, UN agencies are calling for more funding to complement the efforts made and ensure early integration of migrants and refugees into their host communities.
According to migration experts, now is the time to invest in those who have found opportunities in neighboring countries, continue to provide emergency aid to the most vulnerable and those on the move, and strengthen support for communities in Venezuela that host migrants. they decide to return.
Early support becomes integration
new reports of the UN agency for migration on the integration of Venezuelans in Latin America and the Caribbean show that lack of early support for integration can lead to social disparities lasting economic on migrant groups and a negative impact on future generations.
Through surveys carried out in Peru, the Dominican Republic and Brazil, the knowledge, resources and capacities of migrants were measured in six key dimensions of integration: psychological, economic, social, linguistic, political and a last one referring to the ability to plan and execute a route of travel.
The results revealed, for example, that the levels of integration tend to increase according to the length of stay. However, in all three countries, migrant women have lower percentages of integration compared to men, regardless of the length of their stay, income, and employment and educational status. In Peru, it was shown that having a secure residence permit leads to better integration results.
This new approach to measure the integration of migrants, unlike other studies carried out previously, takes into account not only practical aspects such as access to services and jobs, but also social and relational aspects.
“The conclusions contained in these studies are crucial for the design of integration interventions that are more effective,” says Mónica Goracci, Director of Program Support and Migration Management.
For the IOM it is crucial to create policies that take into account regularization, recognition of qualifications, skills development, opportunities for income generation and programs that address mental health, psychosocial well-being and social cohesion.
Dorelis Suárez, 28, and her three children, Yorkelis, 11, Bonilla, 5, and Lorens, 3, left Anzoátegui, in Venezuela, to seek a better life in Brazil.
Conference with host governments and donors
The publication of these results and the joint declaration take place at the gates of the next international conference High Level Meeting in Solidarity with Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants and their Host Countries and Communities, co-sponsored by the Government of Canada and the European Union. The meeting will take place on the days March 16 and 17 in Brusselstogether with IOM and UNHCR, co-directors of the Regional Platform for Inter-institutional Coordination for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela (R4V).
The conference will bring together host governments and donors, as well as key actors in the response, including international organizations, civil society, international financial institutions and the private sector. It will have the participation of affected Venezuelan refugees and migrants.
The Regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan for 2023 requires $1.72 billion to support 3.41 million refugees and migrants and host communities in the 17 countries to support their needs, integration and inclusion in national systems.
