Strategic Response Priorities
Support Venezuelans in vulnerable situations with assistance in obtaining documentation, emergency shelter, NFI, food and nutrition assistance, especially in the border areas.
Prevent, mitigate and respond to protection risks of refugees and migrants from Venezuela, prioritizing those with specific needs.
Provide support to the government-led voluntary relocation programme and related integration activities for refugees and migrants from Venezuelans, fostering peaceful coexistence among communities, as well as support to national capacities to enhance access to public services, while paying particular attention to the differentiated needs of indigenous populations.
Situatio
Brazil has maintained an open-doors policy to the influx of refugees and migrants from Venezuela, crossing primarily through its northern states of Roraima and Amazonas.
According to official figures, some 212,400 Venezuelans are presently hosted by Brazil, many in need of humanitarian assistance, such as food, shelter, healthcare and protection.
A specific priority need in Brazil is the promotion of peaceful coexistence through anti-xenophobia initiatives, with a primary intended outcome being the prevention of GBV as a result of xenophobia. Through its Operação Acolhida (“Operation Welcome”), the Government of Brazil leads the response and systematically provides new arrivals with registration, documentation and opportunities for relocation within Brazil to support sustainable integration and to overcome the geographic divide from the rest of the country.
By August 2019, some 16,643 refugees and migrants from Venezuela have been relocated to 263 cities across the country. Among the refugees and migrants from Venezuela, Brazil also hosts more than 4,600 members of indigenous communities (mostly Warao and Pemon). While largely residing with related communities in Brazil, their situations are more precarious, requiring dedicated, culturally sensitive and community-based approaches.