Government should recognise grave human rights situation in Venezuela says CNDH

Human Rights Ministry organ calls for visits by the National Committee for Refugees to locations with the highest influx of Venezuelans in Brazil.

The CNDH (National Council for Human Rights) published a series of recommendations to the government, this Tuesday, 23 October, regarding the current situation of Venezuelan migrants in Brazil. Among the recommendations was a call for the Brazilian state to consider “objectively the existence of grave and generalised violations of human rights in Venezuela” in order to make it possible to give refugee status to the thousands of migrants being harboured in this country.

Brazil has around 61 thousand applications for refugee status from Venezuelans in the country, according to data provided in August by the Federal Police. This figure, however, represents only 2% of the 2.3 million people who have had to leave Venezuela to flee the crisis, according the IOM (International Organisation for Migration).

The document presented by the President of the Council, Fabiana Severo, during the Ibero-american Seminar for the Protection of the Rights of Venezuelans, in São Paulo, also provides specific suggestions for the President of the Republic, the Chief of Staff’s Office, the Federal Police, the Ministries for Labour, Health and Education as well as the Roraima State Government.

The organ, linked to the Ministry for Human Rights and made up of representatives from civil society and public authorities, also demands that CONARE (National Committee for Refugees) fulfil the functions they are responsible for, such as “visits to places where there are the highest concentration of applications for refugee status” […] “to guide and coordinate necessary actions for efficiency in protection, assistance and legal support for refugees.”

“The CNDH is committed to the effective integration of Venezuelans into Brazil. In this sense and also to ensure entry and access to provisional documentation, other government departments must become more actively involved in the reception of the migrant population, guaranteeing their interiorisation and productive inclusion.”  Fabiana said. “We also hope that CONARE acknowledges the gravity of the situation and the generalised violation of human rights in Venezuela, for greater agility and legal security in judging applications for refugee status.” She concluded.

The recommendations were approved in the last CNDH meeting, held on 17 and 18 October in Brasilia. The body has been acting on a regular basis on this issue and in January published an emergency recommendation on the same matter, as well a Resolution in May. A Report on Violations of Rights against Venezuelan Immigrants in Brazil was also made after a mission carried out by the CNDH, in January to the states of Pará, Amazonas and Roraima.

•  See the document and the recommendations here.