UNHCR chief calls for regional response to Venezuelan refugee and migrant crisis

Since 2015, more than two million Venezuelans have left their country. Some 250,000 Venezuelans have remained in Ecuador. In 2018, for the first time the number of Venezuelan asylum seekers, at nearly 7,000, is higher than Colombians, at 3,800.

Ecuador has a long tradition of welcoming refugees. Some 250,000 Colombians found shelter in Ecuador in the last two decades, fleeing an armed conflict at home.

“I would like to commend Ecuador for its long asylum tradition and for its global leadership in how to manage human mobility,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi during a visit to Quito. “Not all governments in the world are keeping their doors open to people in need. Ecuador and the governments in the region are a good example.”

Grandi was speaking at the conclusion of a one-week mission to South America to assess the humanitarian needs of Venezuelan refugees and migrants, as well as their host countries, and to discuss possible regional responses.

“This humanitarian crisis cannot be addressed in an isolated manner. It is fundamental to promote a regional response to address all the challenges, particularly on matters like humanitarian needs, legal status, documentation and inclusion,” Grandi added. “UNHCR is committed to increasing its cooperation with governments in the region.”

An average of 2,600 Venezuelans have entered Ecuador every day in 2018. About 20 per cent of them decide to stay in the country. The rest continue to other destinations like Peru or Chile. Venezuelans remaining in Ecuador are essentially urban: 45 per cent of them have settled in Quito.

Original source: UNHCR
Published on 16 October 2018