Why is Columbia so open to allowing refugees from Venezuela into their country?

Colombia will grant legal status to all Venezuelan migrants who fled there since 2016 to escape their country’s economic collapse and political crisis.

Why are there Venezuelan refugees in Colombia?

The country is currently hosting 1.74 million Venezuelan migrants who are intending to stay in Colombia long term. Most of them have left Venezuela since 2017, when mass anti-government protests swept through Venezuela and an economic crisis started to cause widespread shortages of medicine, fuel and food.

Why are people migrating away from Venezuela?

Latin America’s largest migration in recent years is driven by hyperinflation, violence, and food and medicine shortages stemming from recent years of political turmoil. Venezuelan migrants who returned to the country after losing their jobs abroad in the wake of the pandemic have been unable to earn wages back home.

How many Venezuelan immigrants are in Colombia?

As of January 31, 2021 there were over 1.7 million Venezuelan citizens in Colombia. The capital city, Bogotá, concentrated the highest share of them, with over 340,000 Venezuelan immigrants, which represents nearly 20 percent of the total number of Venezuelans residing in Colombia at that point in time.

Why are Colombians fleeing?

Since the 1970s, Colombians had fled to Venezuela to avoid violent conflict in their homeland. Colombians who received such benefits would often in turn support Chávez in elections. The creation of currency controls and subsidies under Chávez also allowed a business of smuggling to occur across borders.

Why did Colombians leave their country?

Colombian emigration to the United States occurred in particular in the 1960s and 1970s, and was repeated in the 1990s, especially due to economic factors such as employment prospects and increased revenue and, to some extent, to political reasons related to the threat of illegal armed groups.

Where do Venezuelan migrants go?

Approximately eight out of every ten Venezuelan migrants stay in Latin America and the Caribbean, while most of the remainder settle in North America and Southern Europe. Neighboring Colombia and Peru are the largest recipients of Venezuelans, followed by the United States, Chile, Ecuador, and Spain.

Where did Colombian refugees go?

Around half a million have fled to neighbouring countries, mainly to Ecuador, but also to Costa Rica, Panama and Venezuela. At present, approximately 70,000 Colombian refugees are registered with UNHCR in the region.

What caused Venezuela hyperinflation?

According to experts, Venezuela’s economy began to experience hyperinflation during the first year of Nicolás Maduro’s presidency. Potential causes of the hyperinflation include heavy money-printing and deficit spending.

Can Colombians seek asylum?

In Spain, 27,556 Colombian citizens applied for asylum in 2020, according to data from the Ministry of the Interior of Spain, a staggering rise from the 656 Colombian asylum seekers in Spain in 2016.

Where do Colombian refugees come from?

Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Uruguay and the US have resettled Colombian refugees. In Europe, Denmark, Norway and Sweden have resettled refugees from Ecuador.