The “great challenge” of Venezuelan migrants is encompassed in one word: the document

(CNN Spanish) — The “great challenge” that Venezuelan migrants face today can be encompassed in a single term: the documents, according to Juan Carlos Viloria, coordinator of the Coalition for Venezuela. The magnitude of the Venezuelan migration crisis is clear: as of May 2022, there were 5.08 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Latin America and the Caribbean and 6.13 million worldwide, according to figures from R4V, the Platform Interagency Coordination for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela established by the UN and the International Organization for Migration. Commitment to regional regularization, not local And, in this framework, “the great challenge is encompassed in being able to have that card, with that document that allows (who migrates) to regularize their immigration status and access all rights”, says Viloria, who is participating in the Summit of the Americas. The organization he leads, the Coalition for Venezuela, established within the framework of the OAS General Assembly, brings together more than 80 civil society organizations in more than 20 countries. Having a document, explains Viloria, is the “key” to enroll in the educational system, join the health system, access financial inclusion and contribute to the local benefit of the communities that receive them, which also have their “great challenge”: “The great challenge for the Venezuelan migrant and for the community that receives him is to understand that we are an opportunity for development”. It is not just a question of obtaining them, but that, at the regional level, these documents “manage to articulate and standardize” so that they can be “equivalent” in different countries since, as Viloria explains, Venezuelans, in addition to being regularized, are seeking to reunify, which In many cases, it involves moving. “Each regularization mechanism has its different requirements, which is what we are trying to show and advocate so that they can be as uniform as possible, so that Venezuelans can regularize their status throughout the region,” he says. What is the profile of the Venezuelan migrant? The average profile of the Venezuelan migrant depends on what stage of the last 20 years they left the country, explains Viloria. Currently they are migrants with humanitarian assistance needs in food and health, and above all to be able to access education to complete a career that allows them to find work. There are also professionals who, even with a university degree, “have had to start from scratch.” And then there are particular sectors to work with, such as the indigenous population, the LGBTQ+ community, and people with disabilities. What characterizes migrants? “Our capacity, our resilience in the face of adversity that we experience every day,” she replies. What are the topics to be discussed at the Ninth Summit of the Americas? 1:54