The Colombian government announced the Temporary Protection Statute for Venezuelan migrants that will last for ten years and will mean the regularization of a large part of the Venezuelan migrants in an irregular situation living in the country, EFE reported Monday.
"Today we are making public (…) our country's decision to create a Temporary Protection Statute in Colombia that will allow us to carry out a regularization process in our country for Venezuelan migrants," said President Iván Duque on the occasion of the visit to the country of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi.
In Colombia there are 1,72 million Venezuelan migrants, of which about one million are undocumented, according to data from last December from Migración Colombia.
The introduction of the Temporary Protection Statute will include a "single migrant registry" so that Venezuelans who benefit from it have access to the social benefits of the Colombian State, which should include vaccines against Covid-19.
That means that a third of the five million Venezuelans who are migrants and refugees in the region, who are those who migrated to Colombia, can regularly access services and access the Colombian economy.
"This process marks a milestone in Colombia's migration policy but also in migration policy in Latin America," said Duque, adding that "in humanitarian terms" it will include "the right to identification" for those who are in the country illegally, a situation that makes them victims of mafias that take advantage of this situation.
The Colombian president added: "That is why we have to be clear in these circumstances and seeing the situation of nearly a million people who use the health system, we have to take action, but not based on fear or rejection, but on coherence and fraternity."
UN applauds Bogotá's decision
The Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterres, applauded this Monday the measure adopted by the Government of Colombia that will mean the regularization of a large part of the Venezuelan migrants in an irregular situation living in the country.
"This important act of solidarity will allow approximately one third of the 5 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants in the region to formally access services and contribute to the Colombian economy," Guterres said in a press release sent by the UN spokesman, Stephane Dujarric.
Guterres wanted to emphasize the fact that this announcement "comes at a time when the country is facing the relentless health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic," but noted that the inclusion of Venezuelan refugees "will contribute to the process of recovery from the pandemic," since it will allow them to formally access the country's health services.
"The Secretary-General reiterates the United Nations' commitment to accompany and support the Government and people of Colombia in their efforts to respond to the needs of vulnerable Colombians and Venezuelans," Guterres said.
The president of Colombia, Ivan Duque, unveiled on Monday the decision of his government to create the Temporary Protection Statute for Venezuelan migrants, which will last for ten years, an announcement that occurred on the occasion of the visit to the country of the High Commissioner of the United Nations for Refugees (Acnur), Filippo Grandi.
"This process marks a milestone in Colombia's migration policy but also in migration policy in Latin America," said Duque, adding that "in humanitarian terms" it will include "the right to identification" for those who are in the country illegally, a situation that makes them victims of mafias that take advantage of this situation.
"That is why we have to be clear in these circumstances and, given the situation of nearly a million people who use the health system, we have to take action, but not based on fear or rejection, but on coherence and fraternity," added the Colombian president.
EFE
