OPERATIONAL CONTEXT
As of 30 September, Brazil reached a total of 4,813,586 confirmed cases and 143,886 deaths from COVID19.
All borders were closed in mid-March and entry restrictions by land and sea remain in place today due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including for individuals coming from Venezuela, with few irregular entries and exits reported. Air entry restrictions in some airports remained for the major part of September. For individuals already in the country, the validity of documentation providing legal stay was extended until the end of the emergency.
On 24 September, the Office of the President, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, the Ministry of Infrastructure, and the Ministry of Health approved Ordinance nº 456/2020, which extended by an additional period of 30 days from the date of the Ordinance the exceptional and temporary restrictions on entry by land or sea by foreigners. One of the key updates pertaining to this Ordinance is that the entrance by air is now allowed nationwide. As it was the case with the preceding Ordinances, non-compliance with entry restrictions could lead to deportation and disqualification of asylum claims.
Many Venezuelan refugees and migrants are being severely affected by the current crisis and have lost their livelihoods, struggling to meet their most basic needs, including shelter and food, also encompassing the five thousand indigenous Venezuelans of different ethnicities (Warao, Eñepa and Pemón). Venezuelan refugees and migrants continue to have access to national healthcare services and economic relief measures as part of the COVID-19 response.
On 1 September, the Federal Government extended the COVID-19 emergency economic relief subsidy benefiting informal workers regardless of their nationality for four additional months at the reduced monthly rate of 300 BRL (USD 60). This amount represents half of that granted in the first five months of the program, which was of BRL 600 (USD 120).
In order to assist possible confirmed COVID-19 cases, Operation Welcome (Operaçao Acolhida) developed a contingency plan in partnership with UNHCR and other actors in Roraima and Amazonas, including the establishment of a field hospital in Boa Vista (Area of Protection and Care – APC), with the capacity to host up to 1,782 Venezuelans and host community members.
Following ongoing discussions which started in September, Operation Welcome is in the process of developing a transition plan that reduces costs and gradually hands over oversight of activities from the military task force to civil authorities by a gradual and progressive phase out of the Army until end of 2021.
The proposed plan foresees an expansion of the internal relocation process, aiming to reach monthly targets of 3,000- 3,500 relocated Venezuelan refugees and migrants and may also introduce changes in the current shelter response. UNHCR, together with other R4V partners and members of Operation Welcome, has been actively participating in all discussion and will continue to adjust strategies and approaches to ensure a smooth transition aligned with Operation Welcome´s objectives, so to strengthen local authorities’ capacities and responsibilities, the consolidation of shelters and closure of spontaneous settlements, as well as the increase of internal relocation targets and local integration opportunities.