Attachments
CURRENT SITUATION
In the context of increased onward movements of refugees and migrants in the region, crossing multiple countries in vulnerable situations and through unofficial border points, especially the second half of 2021 witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of refugees and migrants from Venezuela moving northward, via the Darien Gap, with many attempting to reach the United States (U.S.) via its southern land border with Mexico. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported a more than 10,000 per cent increase in the number of “encounters” with Venezuelans attempting to enter the United States from Mexico, up to 24,819 in December 2021 (from 206 in December 2020). In total, there were 106,755 “encounters”1 with Venezuelans attempting to enter the U.S. from Mexico during 2021. Venezuelans made up just 0.4 per cent of those attempting to cross irregularly into the U.S. in January 2021, but 15 per cent of all nationalities arriving to the U.S. by January 2022. Venezuelans surpassed Hondurans, Haitians and Salvadorans in arrivals at the U.S. southern border in the last two months of 2021 and in January 2022.
This increase in attempted entries of refugees and migrants from Venezuela to the U.S. corresponds both with the increase of Venezuelans arriving by air to Mexico, particularly in the last four months of 2021 (which rose from 13,299 in August to 31,518 in December), and with the increase of Venezuelans traveling via irregular overland routes through Central America to Mexico. Particularly noteworthy is the number of Venezuelans crossing the perilous Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama, which rose from just 3 in January 2021 to 1,153 in January 2022, according to Panama’s National Migration Service (SNM); despite an agreement between the Governments of Panama and Colombia from midAugust to limit the number of refugees and migrants (of all nationalities) who would be permitted to cross daily. Children made up 23 per cent of refugees and migrants of all nationalities crossing via the Darien Gap in 2021, according to data from the SNM. Meanwhile, the number of new asylum claims per month from Venezuelans in Mexico remained stable (averaging 552 per month throughout 2021; with a peak of 615 in July), underscoring the trend of Mexico transitioning from a country of destination for Venezuelans, to a transit country for those en route to the U.S.
It is understood that these movements of Venezuelan refugees and migrants transiting through countries in Central America and Mexico to reach the U.S. are almost evenly split between onward movements of Venezuelans who previously resided in other host countries throughout the region, and movements of Venezuelans who more recently left their country of origin. For example, a January 2022 survey by an R4V partner of refugees and migrants arriving to Costa Rica from Panama via overland routes found that 52 per cent of Venezuelans in transit through Costa Rica (most of whom noted the U.S. as their final destination) had previously resided in another host country (mostly Colombia, followed by Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Brazil), while 46 per cent recently departed from Venezuela. Meanwhile, of Venezuelans interviewed by an R4V partner in May 2021 in four northern border cities of Mexico – 43 per cent of whom expressed the intention to travel on to the U.S. – 47 per cent held a Permanent Residence card in Mexico, 20 per cent had resided in Colombia prior to entering Mexico, and 12 per cent had previously resided in Ecuador, Peru or Chile. These Venezuelans stated that their primary need was for legal support, including to establish legal residence through asylum or other migratory procedures, and 29 per cent had no documented form of legal status in the country (the remaining respondents indicated that they had either a humanitarian visa, a temporary residence permit, or that their documentation was in process).
In another joint analysis carried out by the R4V Platform in Mexico in September and October 2021, of Venezuelans residing in five cities (Monterrey, Querétaro, Puebla, Cancún and Playa del Carmen) who had arrived mostly by plane, a significant proportion noted that they had lived previously in Colombia, Peru or Ecuador before traveling to Mexico, and had left those other host countries primarily due to xenophobia, discrimination and precarious economic situations.
On 17 December 2021, noting that Venezuelan nationals were increasingly entering Mexico with the intention to undertake “irregular transit to a third country,” the Government of Mexico announced that it would require visas for Venezuelans to enter the country as tourists, and the visa requirement took effect on 21 January 2022. Costa Rica also implemented a visa requirement for Venezuelans as of 21 February 2022, and that same day, Honduras announced that it would also begin to require a visa for Venezuelans. Of other countries in Central America, Panama, El Salvador and Guatemala have also imposed visa requirements for Venezuelans.
As a result of these new visa requirements, most Venezuelans will no longer be able to enter most Central American countries or Mexico regularly (due to visa application fees or difficulties obtaining necessary paperwork, including availability of passports and/or civil documentation). Yet still impacted by the needs that compelled them to leave their country of origin, and often unable to integrate locally, it is anticipated that many more will resort to irregular overland travel, with a view to reach Mexico and the U.S.