There appears to be no end in sight for the massive Venezuelan
diaspora throughout the region of the Americas and in Spain. The uncertainty
surrounding the profound crisis in Venezuela (political, economic, social,
sanitary, and security) is alarming for boithe Venezuelans and neighbouring countries. The migratory
crisis, and its regional dimension, is one of its most dramatic manifestations to date. 

Although it does not seem like it, the dimensions of this
migratory crisis are similar to the one unfolded by of Syrians flleeing the war that affected the EU between
2016-2017, and it looks set to surpass it.

In many cases, we are facing a
refugee crisis -as has been recognised by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees- not a mere wave of economic immigration. Consequently, most Venezuelan migrants must be treated accordingly.

The current exodus has shot up from 89,000 to 900,000 people
in two years (2015 – 2017) according to the International Organisation for
Migration (IOM), although the reality may be much worse: between 1.6 and 4
million around the beginning of 2018 according to Migration Policy Centre.

This is what you should know about the migratory crisis:

Colombia is the main
destination 

Chile, Argentina, Spain, Costa Rica, Brazil and above all,
Ecuador, Peru and Colombia are the main destinations of those fleeing from
Venezuela, however Colombia is the country that has received the most
Venezuelans.

It is estimated that more than one million Venezuelans live in
Colombia today, of which half a million are undocumented according to Migración
Colombia. Colombia has provided permits to 181,000 Venezuelans that allow them
to reside legally in the country through a special residency permit program. 

These high levels of irregular migration expose migrants to situations of exploitation, rejection and xenophobia that will only worsen over time, creating social tensions that could overflow.

These high levels of irregular migration expose migrants to
situations of exploitation, rejection and xenophobia that will only worsen over
time, creating social tensions that could overflow. The migration policies of
recently elected president Iván Duque remain uncertain, however his categorical rejection of
the Maduro regime and a potential diplomatic siege indicate that relations
could be cut off completely.

This would leave hundreds of thousands of migrants
and refugees that are fleeing from food/medicine shortages, extortion, and
violence in limbo (with 89 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, Venezuela is the
most violent country of the region).

Women and children
suffer the most

There are human beings behind the numbers shown in the
statistics and every migrant or refugee has a story to tell. Of course, the most
vulnerable suffer the most.

The stigmatisation of Venezuelan women, accused in many
countries of migrating to become prostitutes, is the vitriol of an inequality
that leaves migrant women in a position that is much more precarious upon
leaving their countries to migrate abroad. 

According to Save The Children, by 2017, the amount of child Venezuelan refugees had already reached 600,000. 

According to Save The Children, by 2017, the amount of child
Venezuelan refugees had already reached 600,000. It is fundamental to recognise
the devastating effects this migratory crisis has on the rights of these
children and the women who often accompany them. 

Will the migration
end?

Some analysts think that the peak of the migratory wave has
already been and gone, however, the exit of thousands of Venezuelans will only
continue as long as Maduro remains in power and his ability to lift the country
out of crisis is highly limited.

Migratory controls in Colombia and Brazil could harden, and
regional governments could start to impose stronger sanctions in order to
increase pressure on Maduro and force him to abandon the presidency.

However, for many, it is also possible that this wave of mass
migration is an intended consequence that acts as an escape valve for the Maduro
government by distancing those against the regime from Venezuela whilst
simultaneously boosting the economy with family remittances.

One dollar today
is a fortune in the impoverished Venezuelan economy and remittances ensure that
the lives of those who stay behind are more bearable. 

A change in regional
strategy regarding the crisis

Some analysts indicate that a strategy of dollarisation of
the economy and of national unity that is capable of incorporating opposition leaders
into the regime could be a way for Maduro to remain in power, creating an illusion
of normality that continues expelling those who suffer from the economic and
political crisis towards other countries.

A necessary first step to alleviating this catastrophic situation would be to consider it as a regional refugee crisis, and thus treat them accordingly. 

In any case, this desperate flight of hundreds of thousands
of individuals will potentially have disastrous consequences for the region in the medium
and long term. In the short term, the situation has become a humanitarian
crisis. A necessary first step to alleviating this catastrophic situation would
be to consider it as a regional refugee crisis, and thus treat them
accordingly. 

The IOM and other regional organisations are preparing
reports for the next G-20 summit in Argentina in which they warn of the
situation and the need for governments to recognise that what we are facing is not an
economic exodus but a regional refugee crisis like never before in Latin
America. 

Argentina and the WTO are resisting discussions regarding
Venezuela during the summit, but the hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans that
are fleeing from their country that lack documents constitute a ghost
population exposed to many risks.

The hope of these individuals being
considered as refugees, acquiring the right to be recognised as such, and
receiving protection from the countries they flee to according to the Declaration
of Cartagena of 1985 is a fight that must continue.