More Venezuelan refugees are headed to Ecuador

Ecuador is experiencing a new surge of Venezuelan refugees entering the country, according to the Integral Organization of Migrants (IOM). The group says deteriorating conditions in Venezuela as well as xenophobia and new laws in Chile, Peru and Colombia is responsible for the relocations.

Venezuelans approach a processing center at the Ecuador – Colombia border on November 12.

According to IOM, the traffic into Ecuador from Peru and Colombia has been increasing for several months. “The situation in Venezuela continues to get worse for many residents, prompting a new wave of migration,” it said, adding that there is increased movement of Venezuelans who have previously left the country.

IOM says that laws and rules restricting employment of the migrants in Chile and Peru are also responsible for the new migration. “These restrictions as well as those on informal labor and street sales is making it difficult for migrant families to survive in many locations,” IOM says. “In general, we are seeing worsening conditions for Venezuelans across South America, particularly in the Andean countries.”

IOM says that migrants face the highest level of xenophobia in Chile where many local governments are restricting rentals to Venezuelans. “Local residents feel threatened by the migrants and want them expelled from their neighborhoods. This anger has resulted in many acts of violence against refugees, particularly in Santiago.”

The preference for Ecuador for some migrants, according to the IOM, is that it is the “most welcoming” of the Andean countries. “Like the other countries in the region, its economy is in poor condition but Venezuelans there say the attitude toward foreigners there is better, although they face many of the prejudices they face in other countries.”

IOM said that as November, about 500,000 Venezuelan refugees are in Ecuador. It reports that an estimated 1.5 million are in Colombia, 450,000 in Peru and 300,000 in Chile.