(Quito) Ecuador will begin on Wednesday a process of regularization of Venezuelan migrants who fled the political and economic crisis in their country, we learned Wednesday from official sources.
Posted at 6:55 p.m.
This first phase of regularization “will concern approximately 350,000 Venezuelan citizens who entered through orderly and regulated checkpoints,” said Foreign Minister Juan Carlos Holguin.
A second phase will deal with cases of Venezuelans who entered and lived illegally in Ecuador, the minister said.
The authorities estimate that there are currently around 513,000 migrants of Venezuelan nationality in Ecuadorian territory. “The idea is to generate an amnesty for migration,” according to Mr. Holguin, who did not specify the duration of each phase.
The operation will “filter out citizens who do not meet the conditions required to stay in our country”, he added, referring to people sentenced by the courts or who may pose a threat to the country.
Migrants who participate in the process “will obtain a visa and will also be holders of an Ecuadorian identity document confirming their 100% regularization in our country”, according to the minister.
Last June, Quito announced, via a presidential decree, a plan to grant regular migrant status to Venezuelans, who will be granted a free temporary residence visa for two years, renewable once.
According to the UN, more than six million Venezuelans have left their country in recent years, fleeing the political crisis and the economic slump.
Colombia, with 1.8 million Venezuelans, is the country that receives the largest number of migrants from the country, followed by Peru (1.3 million) and Ecuador.
Since 2019, when Quito began to regulate the migratory situation of Venezuelans, some 200,000 of them have received humanitarian visas for two years. According to the June decree, they are obliged to submit to this new process.