Informing humanitarians worldwide 24/7 — a service provided by UN OCHA

Ecuador + 1 more

UNHCR Global Appeal 2015 Update - Ecuador

Attachments

| Overview |

Working environment

  • In 2012, a new refugee decree (no. 1182) was enacted in Ecuador, which confirmed a growing tendency towards more restrictive asylum procedures in the country.

  • With the decree, the broader refugee definition of the Cartagena Declaration was eliminated and admissibility procedures became more restrictive. The current regulations require asylum requests to be presented at the Refugee Directorate offices within 15 days from the date of arrival in the country. However, due to a lack of information and difficulties for asylum-seekers from remote border areas in accessing Refugee Directorate offices, many asylum-seekers are not able to present their claims within this limited period. Even those who are able to submit their request also face additional procedural challenges, which often result in their claims being denied.

  • National security issues have remained high on the political agenda in Ecuador since 2010. Refugee issues are perceived negatively, and are sometimes associated with the growing crime rate and insecurity in the country. Negative stereotypes jeopardize refugees’ social integration.
    Although there are a high number of new asylum applications, the overall recognition rate has dropped dramatically.

  • A large gap remains between progressive constitutional norms regarding the integration of people on the move and their actual access to rights. It is hoped that UNHCR’s Comprehensive Solutions Initiative (CSI), which aims to support the Government’s efforts to find durable solutions for refugees, will help to address this gap.

  • In 2014-2015, it is anticipated that the support provided for refugees hosted in Ecuador will include access to: education, the health care system, banking and other financial management resources, a range of specific government programmes and employment.

People of concern

Ecuador hosts the largest refugee population in Latin America, with over 54,800 refugees officially recognized by the Government as of September 2013. An estimated 160,000 individuals have requested asylum in the country since 2000. The vast majority of refugees in Ecuador (98 per cent) are Colombians who have left their country over the last decade due to the internal conflict. New arrivals continue to reach Ecuador at a rate of 1,000 per month. Sixty per cent of refugees and asylum-seekers settle in marginal and poor urban areas, mainly in Quito and Guayaquil and other cities, while around 40 per cent reside in isolated regions with limited basic services and infrastructure, along the northern border.