Regional Response to Migration of Venezuelans

In recent years, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has seen changes in its mobility processes. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has traditionally been a country of destination for thousands of migrants from Europe and South America; however, recent economic and political factors have shifted these patterns. It is estimated that the number of Venezuelans abroad rose from 700,000 to more than 1,600,000 between 2015 and 20171 . This large-scale migration in South America is demonstrated by a significant increase of Venezuelan nationals in the sub-continent - approximately 900 per cent between 2015 and 2017 (89,000 Venezuelan nationals in 2015; and up to 900,000 in 2017). In Central America and the Caribbean, the number of Venezuelan nationals doubled from around 50,000 in 2015 to almost 100,000.

IOM has been compiling information at national level through its Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM)2 and, at regional level, through official data sources. IOM in cooperation with host governments and partners has activated its DTM to capture, process and disseminate information in order to provide a better understanding of the movements and evolving needs of the Venezuelan nationals in the region. Additionally, IOM enhanced its field work and data analysis capacity in the region to complement DTM findings and help produce reliable comprehensive information on the recent flows.

Regional Action Plan to Strengthen Response to Venezuelan Outflows:

IOM launched a Regional Action Plan, detailing its support to Governments hosting Venezuelan nationals in the Americas and the Caribbean. The Action Plan aims at strengthening the regional response to large-scale flows of Venezuelans, supporting the efforts that governments have initiated across the region. The Action Plan responds to the needs and priorities expressed by concerned governments, as well as information gathered through IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix, currently active in several countries in the region, and the Organization’s experience delivering aid to individuals and groups of Venezuelans nationals..

Download the Regional Action Plan here.

IOM Appeal for USD 32.3 Millon:

IOM’s Action Plan, which requires USD 32.3 million in funding to implement, focuses on such activities as data collection and dissemination, capacity building and coordination, direct support and socio-economic integration.

For more information, please send an email to: ROSanJoseCommunications@iom.int