At the UN, Conectas warns of violations against venezuelan migrants

In addition to a statement to members of the Human Rights Council, NGOs are also organising a parallel event on the reception of migrants in different countries

Venezuelans waiting at the Federal Police station in the border town of Pacaraima, in Roraima. (Photo: UNHCR/Reynesson Damasceno)

Mass deportations in Trinidad and Tobago, militarization of the humanitarian response in Brazil, expulsions with no right of defence in Mexico, imposition of new requirements to apply for visas in Chile, arrest based on appearance in the Dominican Republic and lack of response to applications for refugee status in Colombia and Brazil. These are the main problems faced by migrants who have recently left Venezuela because of the economic and humanitarian crisis affecting the country.

In a statement made to the UN Human Rights Council by Conectas on Monday 25, read out by the Venezuelan activist Lígia Bolívar, the organisation draws the attention of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and members of the Council to the vulnerable situation and to the violation of the rights of over 1.6 million people who have left Venezuela headed for other countries in the Americas.

“We are calling for countries to host Venezuelan migrants in their countries and not to resort to deportation, or to any other measure resulting in human rights violations. We are also appealing to Venezuela to offer its citizens the means to issue documents such as passports. This would facilitate their entry and legalisation in the host countries.” Said Bolívar.

• Read the full statement (in Spanish)

Parallel Event

The heightened Venezuelan exodus to the Americas was also discussed at an event held by a number of civil society organisations in parallel to the 38th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

On Tuesday 26, Conectas Human Rights, CEJIL (Centre for Justice and International Law) and the Centre for Human Rights at the Catholic University Andrés Bello (Caracas) will debate on how countries in the region have been handling reception of migrants, which policies have been implemented and how organisations in Venezuela have been working with this migratory flow. Missão Paz and The Jesuit Refugee and Migrant Service co-organised the event.