1’863.830 Venezuelan citizens entered and passed through Ecuador since 2016.
The Foreign Ministry plans to deliver 75.000 visas to Venezuelan citizens until September.
Carlos Velasteguí, Vice Minister of Human Mobility, reported that it is not only the Visa for Exception for Humanitarian Reasons (VERHU), but also the other existing categories.
In the last four years, 1’863.830 Venezuelan citizens entered and passed through Ecuador, of which 350.491 are found as a migratory balance, that is, they remain in the country on a regular basis. But, according to the projections of the Foreign Ministry and international organizations, it is considered that 417.000 Venezuelan citizens are in the country, including those who entered irregularly.
Days ago, Foreign Minister Luis Gallegos indicated that there are 67.333 Venezuelan citizens regularized in Ecuador since August 2019. This is in accordance with the processes established by the Government in Executive Decree 826, with the Immigration Registry and the VERHU. This group includes 26.926 visas of other categories.
Applications for VERHU visas, which arrived until midnight on August 13, continue to be processed. Most of these visas have been granted at the consulate in Caracas.
In addition, the ordinary regularization of Venezuelan citizens with the other categories of visas will continue.
Gallegos recalled that Ecuador granted 128.617 visas until August 2019 (before the extraordinary regularization process). This figure, added to the 67.333 visas granted in the extraordinary regularization period (including VERHU and other categories), would give a total of 195.950 regularized Venezuelan citizens.
The deputy minister pointed out that the main problems to deliver the VERHU arose in the issuance of passports and filiation documents and that this depends on the Government of Venezuela.
He added that the country implements a Comprehensive Plan for the Care and Protection of the Venezuelan Population in Human Mobility 2020-2021 with four axes: socio-economic inclusion; care and protection; access to services and coordination; and international cooperation and multilateral management.
Regarding the Migratory Registry in charge of the Ministry of Government, the Undersecretary of Migration, Juan Francisco Loaiza pointed out that 165,761 Venezuelan citizens made this registry.
Of this total, the majority is in Pichincha (44%) and Guayas (23%). 11% entered Ecuador avoiding regular immigration filters.
89% of those registered are interested in staying in Ecuador beyond two years, 88% have no relatives in Ecuador, 46% reported that their salary is less than the basic one, 49% have benefited from the health system, 5% have chronic diseases and 6% have had children in the country.
Based on these statistics, Foreign Minister Luis Gallegos pointed out that Ecuador requires greater international cooperation.
According to Velasteguí, Ecuador’s global cooperation requirement amounts to USD 246.7 million and the total collected is only USD 78.6 million, which represents 31.9% of the total required.
The Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants of Venezuela R4V estimated that, for 2019, Ecuador would need around USD 117’300.000 to face the human mobility situation, but it was only possible to raise USD 52’130.686.
For this year, the Platform identified that Ecuador would require approximately USD 200’400,000, but until July 30, 2020, the registry was only USD 34’000,000.
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