2018 Year in Review: The Year of Venezuelan Migration

2018 was the year when Venezuelan traditional migratory patterns were altered: It became the country of origin in the Americas with the highest numbers of displaced people. Check out the key milestones in what became the year of Venezuelan migration.

Photo: Dylan Baddour

Migration has always existed and will always exist. It’s a constant phenomenon and a right for those who decide so. In the case of the Americas,  there were important challenges in 2018 regarding migration flows: from Nicaraguans fleeing repression in their country and migrating to neighboring Costa Rica, the families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border, to the Central Americans who assembled in their Caravana Migrante to show the world that the challenges of displacement and the lack of opportunities in their country of origin is something that concerns all countries and not only the country of origin. However, the exodus of Venezuelans as a result of the economic, social, political and humanitarian crises in the country was the main migratory challenge in 2018, and it will continue to be so as new waves of displaced Venezuelans arrive to countries in the region

Check out the key milestones of 2018 regarding Venezuelan migration. What were the numbers? What were the policy responses that are worth highlighting? What were the key decisions made by the international community to address the Venezuelan migrant and refugee crisis in 2018?

January

February

March

April

May

June

  • Colombia concludes the RAMV on June 8. The registry documents the presence in Colombian territory of 819,034 Venezuelans, of which 376,572 are regular and 442,462 are under an irregular status.

July

August

September

October

November

December

And these are some estimates of how we close the year in terms of Venezuelans expats:

As many countries of the region take emergency measures to address the massive flows of Venezuelans, and recur to the international community for more financial resources for health, food, shelter and other costs to stabilize the Venezuelan displaced population, we cannot lose the sense of urgency in terms of addressing the root causes of this migratory crisis, and its regional effects.

This cannot become the new normal for Venezuelans, and the international community.

As we close the year, let us not forget that these are human lives that are at stake, people who have forcibly been separated from their nation, their origins, their families and loved ones.