• Crisis Severity ?
    2.8
    0 Very low
    Very high 5
  • Impact ?
    3.6
    0 Very low
    Very high 5
  • Humanitarian Conditions ?
    2.6
    0 Very low
    Very high 5
  • Complexity ?
    2.4
    0 Very low
    Very high 5
  • Access Constraints ?
    2.0
    No constraints
    Extreme constraints
See all indicators

Key figures

  • 803,000 People displaced [?]

Overview

24/11/2022

Since 2017, Ecuador has become both a transit and a destination country for Venezuelan migrants. As of August 2022, some 502,214 Venezuelans are residing in Ecuador. ?

A survey carried out in May 2022 showed that around 66% of the Venezuelan migrant population arriving in Ecuador lacked resources to satisfy basic needs, resulting in high levels of food insecurity. When temporary permits expire, it is challenging for Venezuelans in Ecuador to legalise their status, mainly due to bureaucratic requirements that are hard for Venezuelans to obtain. The lack of a legal permit of stay impedes access to basic services and the labour market, and creates increased protection concerns and risk of exploitation and abuse. ?

 

Latest Developments

10/05/2022

No significant recent humanitarian developments. This crisis is being monitored by our analysis team.

 

KEY PRIORITIES

29/11/2022

Food Security: The scarcity of livelihoods and the lack of regularisation of migration status creates a gap in access to food. Due to the low incomes of the population, at least 66% of the Venezuelan population surveyed lack sufficient food. ?

Lack of Livelihoods: difficulties in obtaining refugee status hinder Venezuelans' ability to access formal jobs and acquire income to meet basic needs. Between 2018 and 2022 of the 27,889 Venezuelans who applied for regularisation of their migration status, only about 1,100 were recognised as refugees. The lack of a valid passport and irregular entry of many Venezuelan migrants make it especially difficult for them to enter the labour market. ?

Protection and gender-based violence: The difficulty in obtaining regular status makes girls and women prone to human trafficking, forced labour and other forms of gender-based violence. Lack of awareness of protection mechanisms and fear of reporting incidents of violence for fear of being fined or expelled from the country by the authorities also increases security risks for Venezuelan women and girls on the route or staying in Ecuador. ?

Entry requirements and legal status

01/02/2022

Since 26 August 2019, Venezuelan citizens require a visa to enter Ecuador. This requirement is a barrier to entry because many Venezuelans do not have a valid passport and cannot initiate the visa process. The cost of the process is also very high; the most affordable process costs $250. On 13 August 2020, the Government of Ecuador announced the end of the ‘temporary residence visa for humanitarian reasons’ for Venezuelan migrants and refugees. Venezuelan migrants residing in Ecuador can no longer apply for a visa for humanitarian reasons. Ecuadorian consulates in Caracas (Venezuela), Lima (Peru), and Bogotá (Colombia) are still authorised to process visa requests under this category. Under these conditions, Venezuelans residing in Ecuador who have not regularised their situations may be subject to a fine of $800 (the equivalent of two minimum wages).?