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Updated February 15, 2019
The Venezuela Regional Migration Crisis
The deteriorating humanitarian situation in Venezuela has
with the vast majority remaining in the Latin America and
elevated congressional concerns about the country, which
Caribbean region. Although UNHCR has asserted that most
remains in a deep political and economic crisis under the
displaced Venezuelans are not considered refugees, a
authoritarian rule of President Nicolás Maduro; on January
significant number are needing humanitarian assistance,
23, 2019, President Trump recognized the head of
international protection, and opportunities to regularize
Venezuela’s National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, as the
their status. UNHCR and the International Organization for
country’s interim president and ceased to recognize the
Migration (IOM) estimate that by the end of 2019, the
Maduro regime. Before the most recent political upheaval
number of Venezuelan refugees and migrants could reach
began in January 2019, Venezuelans were already facing
over 5.3 million.
severe shortages of food and medicine (in part due to
corruption), and lack of access to social services. Political
Responses to the Venezuelan arrivals vary by country and
persecution and the impact of hyperinflation (the highest in
continue to evolve with events on the ground. While more
the world) with loss of income and oppressive poverty also
than half of Venezuelan migrants have stayed in Colombia,
contributed to a dire situation. Maduro has refused to accept
significant numbers have fled to Peru, Ecuador, Chile,
most offers of international humanitarian assistance. As
Brazil, Argentina, Panama, Mexico, and the southern
conditions in the country have become progressively worse,
Caribbean. See Figure 1. Colombia is dealing with its own
increasing numbers of Venezuelans continue to leave, and
political transition and other pressures. Although it has
neighboring countries, particularly Colombia, are straining
begun to emerge from decades of civil conflict, Colombia
to absorb a population that is often malnourished and in
faces ongoing violence by armed groups. The Colombia-
poor health. The spread of previously eradicated diseases,
Venezuela border covers 1,378 miles and has seven official
such as measles, is also a major regional concern. (Also see
border crossing points. Cúcuta is the main reception point
CRS Insight IN11024, Venezuela: U.S. Recognizes Interim
for Venezuelan migrants entering Colombia. There are
Government, and CRS Report R44841, Venezuela:
hundreds of unofficial points of entry on the border, which
Background and U.S. Relations.)
make it impossible to track all arrivals. The Colombian
government estimates that there are 1 million Venezuelans
Figure 1. Venezuelan Migrants and Asylum Seekers:
throughout the country, but the actual figure is unknown.
Flows to the Region and Beyond
Taken as a percentage of their overall population,
Venezuelan arrivals have significantly affected small
countries and territories. Trinidad and Tobago, a twin-
island country with 1.4 million people, estimated in late
2018 that it was hosting 60,000 Venezuelans, which
increased its overall population by more than 4%. Between
September 2014 and 2018, roughly 400,000 Venezuelans in
the region and beyond (to the United States, Canada, Spain,
and elsewhere) applied for political asylum (specific legal
protection for which most migrants do not qualify.) Host
countries have been willing to register some Venezuelan
migrants and by October 2018 had granted 960,000
Venezuelan arrivals alternative legal forms of stay
(temporary legal residence with access to social services,
and sometimes work, for up to two years.)
The Venezuelan government has made it increasingly
difficult for Venezuelans to obtain a valid passport and
therefore legal status outside the country. Humanitarian
experts are most concerned about the roughly 60% of
Venezuelans in neighboring countries who lack
identification documents, which makes them vulnerable to
Source: CRS.
arrest and deportation by governments and to abuse by
criminal groups, including human traffickers. Young
By the end of 2018, the U.N. High Commissioner for
children, indigenous communities, pregnant women, and
Refugees (UNHCR) and other experts estimated that more
the elderly are particularly at risk.
than 3 million Venezuelans (one in ten) had left the country
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The Venezuela Regional Migration Crisis
International Humanitarian Response Framework
food, hygiene/medical kits) in Cúcuta, and preparing to
The U.N. Secretary-General appointed UNHCR and the
move U.S. relief supplies to the region from warehouses in
International Organization for Migration (IOM) to
Miami and Houston. It remains to be seen how events
coordinate the international response through the Regional
unfold in Venezuela and the impact on the humanitarian
Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and
situation. In keeping with international humanitarian
Migrants from Venezuela, which includes U.N. entities,
standards, U.S. humanitarian assistance is generally
nongovernmental organizations, the Red Cross Movement,
provided on the basis of need and according to principles of
faith-based organizations, and civil society. Former
universality, impartiality, and independence. Humanitarian
Guatemalan diplomat and Vice President Eduardo Stein has
organizations have expressed concern not just about the
been appointed the U.N. Joint Special Representative for
many logistical and security problems in delivering
Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants.
assistance to Venezuela, but also the prospect of
humanitarian assistance being used as a tool in a political
International and U.S. Humanitarian Assistance
contest. The Maduro regime has so far blocked relief
Governments, humanitarian organizations (national and
supplies from entering Venezuela via Cúcuta.
international) are responding to the needs of displaced
Venezuelans and host communities in the region. Services
Regional and Global Migration and Asylum Policies
provided vary by country and include support for reception
Venezuela’s exodus is a significant displacement crisis for
centers and options for shelter; emergency relief items, such
the Western Hemisphere, which has in place some of the
as emergency food assistance, safe drinking water, and
highest protection standards in the world for displaced and
hygiene supplies; legal assistance with asylum applications
vulnerable persons. Neighboring countries are under
and other matters; protection from violence and
pressure to examine their respective migration and asylum
exploitation; and the creation of temporary work programs
policies and to address, as a region, the legal status of
and education opportunities. The World Health
Venezuelans who have fled their country. Although
Organization (WHO) is reportedly helping the government
countries have generally welcomed Venezuelan arrivals,
purchase and deliver millions of vaccines against measles,
some have begun to tighten visa requirements and/or
mumps, and rubella. Moreover, while Maduro has publicly
deported them. Several international organizations,
rejected offers of international humanitarian assistance, in
including the Inter-American Commission on Human
November 2018, the U.N. Central Emergency Response
Rights and various U.N. entities, have raised concerns
Fund (CERF) allocated $9.2 million for Venezuela to be
about instances of xenophobia against Venezuelans.
provided through U.N. entities.
Most Latin American countries and the Caribbean are part
In mid-December 2018, UNHCR and IOM launched the
of an ongoing forum that is based on the 1984 Cartagena
regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan (RMRP),
Declaration on Refugees, which has an expanded definition
which is the first of its kind in the Americas: an operational
of refugee that goes beyond the 1951 U.N. Convention
and coordination strategy “responding to the needs of
Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol and
Venezuelans on the move and securing their social and
incorporates cooperative approaches to help meet the needs
economic inclusion in the communities receiving them.”
of the displaced. With separate global compacts on refugees
The RMRP includes 95 organizations covering 16
and migration now adopted, experts urge timely and
countries. It is also an appeal for $738 million in funding to
predictable funding from the international community to
support over 2 million Venezuelans and half a million
support efforts by host governments to assist Venezuelan
people in host communities.
refugees and migrants and the communities sheltering them.
The U.S. government is providing humanitarian and
Issues for Congress
emergency food assistance and helping to coordinate and
Congressional interest has focused on the humanitarian
support regional response efforts. U.S. government
response in the region, the political situation in Venezuela,
humanitarian funding for the Venezuela regional response
and the increasing migration flows. In the 116th Congress
totals approximately $96.5 million for both FY2017 and
oversight is likely to continue on U.S. humanitarian
FY2018 combined. (Humanitarian funding is drawn
assistance, as well as on contingency planning for a crisis
primarily from the global humanitarian accounts in annual
that could continue to expand. Countries in the region (as
Department of State/Foreign Operations appropriations
well as the United States and humanitarian actors) remain
legislation.) For nearly three months between October and
keenly aware that an acute situation, such as the spread of
December 2018, the U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS
disease (e.g., measles) or a sudden increase in arrival
Comfort was on a medical support deployment to work with
numbers in excess of a country’s capacity, could affect
government partners in Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and
border management and safety, and limit the acceptance of
Honduras, in part to assist with arrivals from Venezuela.
additional Venezuelans. How regional governments react
The United States is also providing $37 million in bilateral
will be key to the ongoing management of the crisis.
assistance to support medium and longer-term efforts by
Colombia to respond to the Venezuelan arrivals.
Rhoda Margesson, Specialist in International
On January 24, 2019, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo
Humanitarian Policy
announced that the United States would provide $20 million
Clare Ribando Seelke, Specialist in Latin American
in additional humanitarian assistance to the people of
Venezuela at the request of Interim President Guaidó. The
Affairs
U.S. Agency for International Development announced that
IF11029
it was pre-positioning emergency supplies (relief items,
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The Venezuela Regional Migration Crisis
Disclaimer
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congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11029 · VERSION 3 · UPDATED