ReliefWeb

Between 2014 and 2018, some 282,180 asylum claims have been lodged by Venezuelans, over 113,000 in 2017 alone. While refugee procedures are overwhelmed, 5,661 have been recognized as refugees thus far.

The majority of Venezuelans who have left their country have no regular status, and are therefore more vulnerable to any form of exploitation, abuse, violence, trafficking and discrimination.

Thousands continue leave Venezuela daily and legally enter in neighbouring countries. UNHCR is stepping up its response accordingly.

KEY FIGURES

Over 1.5 million
Venezuelans have left their country since 2014

2,000% increase
in the number of Venezuelan nationals seeking asylum worldwide since 2014

567,561
beneficiaries of alternative protection arrangements since 2014

6,192
individuals reached through protection monitoring

FUNDING (AS OF 13 JUNE 2018)
USD 46 M
requested for the Venezuela situation

Operational Context

Growing numbers of people continue to leave Venezuela for different reasons, including insecurity and violence, lack of food, medicine or access to essential social services, as well as loss of income. Based on conservative government figures, over 1.5 million Venezuelan nationals have left the country since 2014. While not all may be refugees, it is evident that a significant proportion are in need of international refugee protection. Some 282,180 have filed asylum claims globally to date while some 567,500 have accessed alternative legal forms of stay in Latin America. However, to date, an estimated 60% of Venezuelans remain in an irregular situation, without documentation, including those not able to apply for asylum or another legal status because of bureaucratic obstacles, long waiting periods, or high application fees.

Host countries have become increasingly strained. Venezuelan refugees and migrants with are more vulnerable to multiple protection risks, such as labour and sexual exploitation. In countries where irregular armed groups and criminal gangs are actively recruiting, there is an additional risk that Venezuelans without other options may be tempted or forced to join these groups.

UNHCR is working with Governments to address the protection and essential needs of Venezuelans in host countries and continues to call for protection-oriented responses, such as humanitarian visas, special stay arrangements or other regional migratory frameworks, with the relevant protection safeguards. UNHCR has developed a regional response plan that covers eight countries and the Caribbean sub-region.