For Immediate Release: 

February 17, 2021

Bogotá, Colombia – International commitments & community-based action will be fundamental for implementation for the integration of Venezuelan migrants and refugees.

 The Colombian government has taken a bold political and humanitarian stance to grant legal status to approximately 1 million irregular migrants. This will finally allow people previously on the margins to work legally and access health and education services – the basic pillars of human rights.  The move also benefits hundreds of thousands of documented migrants and refugees by extending their status over a period of ten years.

We believe, as Pope Francis has expressed, that humanity’s response to migration should be rooted in welcoming, protecting, promoting, and integrating, in order to build better societies and encourage the human development of all people[1].

Colombia’s ambitious and commendable initiative will require a large investment to resolve current gaps in services for its implementation to be effective. We hope that the international community will take swift action by funding the 2021 Regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan (RMRP 2021) for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela In Colombia. The Venezuelan humanitarian crisis continues to be one of the world’s most underfunded crises[2].

International partnerships and cooperation will be fundamental to strengthen Colombia’s institutions to effectively expand the services and social protections needed for migrants and refugees. Without this support, Colombia risks further straining its sparse resources, which already leave many communities with their basic needs unmet.

As an established humanitarian actor in the Magdalena and La Guajira departments, we have seen firsthand how the COVID-19 pandemic has had detrimental direct and secondary consequences on the lives of refugees and migrants and their host communities. Many families are currently unable to cover basic needs or access vital services[3].

Lockdown measures have led to loss of income and livelihoods, particularly in the informal sector, and have heavily strained nutrition and food security. Health services have become harder to reach and less available. The national healthcare system has suffered from financial losses and a reduction of staff. The gaps in care that surfaced in 2020 have carried over into 2021. Maternal and child morbidity and mortality show a clear increasing tendency, as do mental health disorders.

Colombia will undoubtedly need support to resolve these alarming gaps in social services while implementing an unprecedented administrative process to regularize undocumented migrants.

Investing in communities and peace

We believe that this decision lays the groundwork for building long-term solutions that go beyond responding to short-term humanitarian needs and moves us closer to achieving the integration and joint development of Venezuelan refugees, migrants, as well as Colombians.

Our experience in Magdalena and La Guajira, with migrants and refugees in rural and peri-urban multi-ethnic host communities, has taught us the importance of incorporating rural development programming in these low-resource border regions. An effective humanitarian response must consider the urgent needs of underserved populations that have welcomed new arrivals and have seen their populations sharply increase in the last five years.

As Colombia undertakes this great journey of integration, we believe that long-term solutions will consider investments in social cohesion and the strengthening of the fragile peace process. This will require international commitment and support, as well as comprehensive community-based actions for migrants, refugees, and their host communities.

Contact:

Julian de Mayo

Julian.demayo@malteser-international.org

+1 (718) 666-8397

About Malteser International Americas

MI Americas is an affiliate of Malteser International, the humanitarian relief agency of the Sovereign Order of Malta, a 900-year lay religious order with a mission to serve the poor and the sick irrespective of religion, ethnicity or political persuasion. Our work is guided by the belief that every person has the right to live a healthy life with dignity. With over 126 programs annually across 31 countries, our programs reach millions of people worldwide.

References:

[1] Pope Francis, “Pope’s message for 2019 World Day of Migrants and Refugees: Full text,” Vatican News, May 17, 2019. https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/pope-francis-message-world-day-migrants-refugees-full-text.html

[2] Dany Bahar and Meagan Dooley, “Venezuela refugee crisis to become the largest and most underfunded in modern history,” Brookings Institute, December 9, 2019. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2019/12/09/venezuela-refugee-crisis-to-become-the-largest-and-most-underfunded-in-modern-history/

[3] GIFMM Colombia: Evaluación Conjunta de Necesidades ante COVID-19, December 2020, https://r4v.info/es/documents/details/84221