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The Dominican Republic (DR) hosts the highest number of Venezuelan refugees and migrants in the Caribbean, per data from the General Directorate for Migration (DGM). By the end of 2024, this number is expected to reach over 127,000. Since 2017, Venezuelans have constituted the second-largest non-national group in the DR, after Haitians.1 Most arrivals from Venezuela to the DR occur by plane. However, entries declined after December 2019 when the DR government introduced a visa requirement for Venezuelans. Furthermore, expired tourist visas and cards placed many in an irregular situation, leading to challenges in accessing basic rights, including formal labour market, health, and education. A 2023 study highlighted that Venezuelans in the DR possess a high level of education, contributing positively to the host country’s development.2 In 2021, the government initiated its widely applauded Normalization Plan for Venezuelans (PNV), with implementation expected to continue into 2024. This offered an alternative legal pathway for Venezuelans who entered the country regularly between January 2014 and March 2020. The process applies existing Dominican law, allowing Venezuelans to apply for a visa without returning to their country of origin. Approximately 43,000 Venezuelans registered through the PNV. By December 2023, 24,937 Venezuelans had received visas as part of the PNV, including 21,341 temporary worker visas and 3,596 student visas. Of those, approximately 9,000 had received non-resident ID cards issued by Migration authorities.
This plan aims to assist a significant portion of eligible Venezuelans in the country, facilitating access to rights like formal employment, identification documents, bank accounts, and more. However, despite being less expensive than other migration procedures, the PNV is not cost-free, potentially hindering vulnerable Venezuelans from applying or completing the process successfully. Furthermore, many remain excluded due to additional factors such as lack of information and limited access to services. Registration has not been re-opened since the first phase ended in 2021 limiting many Venezuelans’ access to this opportunity and leaving many an irregular situation in the DR. Refugees and migrants in an irregular situation face challenges accessing formal employment and essential services like financial services and medical treatment. They also face other challenges accessing protection, with children, LGBTQI+ individuals, survivors of gender-based violence and Victims of Trafficking (VoTs) being particularly vulnerable. Recognition and validation of credentials and access to tertiary education also remain challenges for them. Therefore, partners continue to advocate for reopening the initial phase of Normalization Plan registration and streamlining the renewal process of non-resident ID cards, which are valid for one year.
Public services, including basic education, emergency primary medical care, specialized services for survivors of GBV, as well as labour rights, are available to all, irrespective of nationality or status. Nonetheless, Venezuelans encounter difficulties accessing some of these services due to administrative hurdles or limited capacity among service providers.
Access to national documents such as passports remains a challenge for Venezuelans in the DR. Moreover, children born to refugee and migrant parents in the country are not entitled to Dominican nationality through Jus Solis,4 leaving them at risk of statelessness if they are unable to obtain proof of Venezuelan nationality.
In 2024, R4V partners will respond to needs of Venezuelans identified by partners in the Dominican Republic, including Protection, Integration, and Health.