Colombia’s 50-year-old conflict – ongoing to this day – has displaced 6.24 million people, according to recent government figures. In several regions, Colombians continue to suffer forced recruitment, sexual violence, murders, kidnappings and severe restrictions to their movements. The conflict’s dynamics often hamper access to basic services such as health care, education and safe water, especially in remote zones.
Some of the less visible victims of the conflict are Colombian refugees who seek asylum in neighbouring Ecuador and Venezuela. Our colleague Hilaire Avril spoke with Alvaro de Vicente, who heads the Colombia office of the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO).
Who are Colombia’s refugees, and how many are there currently?
Currently 396 633 Colombians are in need of international protection in Ecuador or Venezuela, according to the latest figures by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). This is more than the population of European cities like Bristol or Bologna. Of these, only between 50 000 and 60 000 have been recognised as refugees by Ecuador.
Many others have not been recognised as refugees, which makes them even more vulnerable. These 'persons in need of international protection' (PNIPs), are often discriminated when looking for jobs and places to live, or detained by the local authorities because they are technically undocumented.
UNHCR estimates that nearly 98% of these refugees and people in refugee-like situations are Colombians who have been displaced by the internal armed conflict – particularly acute in remote rural areas of peripheral departments.
Yet in the last few years, pressure and threats to civilians from emerging illegal armed groups who control large territories have also caused people to flee from a number of regions.
When did the crisis start and what is the current situation?
Despite the current peace talks between the government and the main guerilla group (FARC), the crisis is still ongoing. Just recently, due to the collapse of the short-lived ceasefire, violence has flared up again.
This crisis started in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when large numbers of Colombians started fleeing to neighbouring countries. Back then, the crisis was barely visible, as these were considered economic migrants moving to Venezuela or Ecuador with their families, in search of a job. However, UNHCR identified the issue and in the early 2000s initiated their operations with field offices in the two countries. Following this initiative, the European Commission started funding the UNHCR programmes in 2003 (Ecuador) and 2006 (Venezuela). Since then, the Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) has supported UNHCR in both countries, assisting the victims of the armed conflict regardless of their exact legal status.
In 2009, the Government of Ecuador launched a very positive 'open door' policy of recognition of these migrants. About 50 000 Colombians were recognized as refugees, granting them legal rights and better protection. Although Colombians continue arriving in Ecuador, access to refugee status has diminished.
In Venezuela, the situation is different. Although Venezuela defined a specific policy on the matter, the country has only recognized 5 052 Colombian refugees, leaving another 168 548 Colombians without refugee status.
How is the European Commission helping these refugees?
Most refugees arrive in very vulnerable circumstances: poor, socially fractured, and with limited access to safety nets (family, friends, local institutions…). With our partners, the Commission has been supporting refugees in different capacities. In the case of Ecuador – which receives the highest number of refugees in Latin America – more than 70% of asylum seekers who cross the border are in need of food assistance, and need help to build new livelihoods. With UNHCR and the UN World Food Programme (WFP), we have been providing food.
Upon arrival, the majority of refugees find some type of work, but it is often low paid and irregular. Xenophobia and discrimination also leave refugees vulnerable to exploitation. It is estimated that 70 % of Colombians in need of international protection suffer from discrimination.
In Venezuela with UNHCR, we help asylum seekers by providing legal assistance, in order to facilitate access to proper refugee status. Legal assistance is reinforced through the provision of 'mobility kits', to ensure Colombians safely reach the Venezuelan institutions responsible for refugee issues.
How do you see the situation evolving?
We are concerned, because the flow of refugees continues. The recent upsurge in violence in Colombia explains why there are still about 950 refugees coming to Ecuador each month, during this year. The stigma against Colombian refugees is getting worse – this is the reason why UNHCR has been campaigning against xenophobia, and in favour of local integration.
There is also need to preserve the access of persons in need of international protection to effective, fair and institutionally robust asylum procedures, so that all refugees are protected, rather than victimized again after fleeing the world’s longest ongoing conflict.