In light of the continuing outflow of Venezuelans to neighbouring countries and beyond, UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, on March 14th released new guidance for governments to address the situation of Venezuelans in need of international protection and humanitarian assistance.
According to a media release from UNHCR, the complex political and socio-economic developments in Venezuela, a country which has traditionally been host to thousands of refugees, has seen the number of people compelled to leave their homes continue to increase. While not all Venezuelans are leaving for refugee-related reasons, it is becoming increasingly clear that a significant number are in need of international protection.
There has been a 2,000 percent increase in the number of Venezuelan nationals seeking asylum worldwide since 2014, particularly in the Americas during the last year, the UN statement noted. In 2017, while over 94,000 Venezuelans were able to access refugee procedures in other countries,
