Colombia Lockdown Is Leaving Migrants Destitute, Study Finds
Colombia Lockdown Is Leaving Migrants Destitute, Study Finds
(Bloomberg) -- Colombia’s coronavirus lockdown is disproportionately hurting Venezuelan migrants and leaving many destitute, according to a report from Refugees International.
Many of the estimated 1.8 million Venezuelans in Colombia live in overcrowded conditions that make social distancing impossible, the study found. Some landlords have flouted the ban on evictions during the lockdown, and expelled migrants unable to pay their rent, according to the report.
“Unable to work, deprived of social protections, and lacking savings or support networks, Venezuelans cannot afford food, rent, or other basic needs”, Refugees International researchers Daphne Panayotatos and Rachel Schmidtke wrote.
Conditions are so bad that tens of thousands of migrants have returned to Venezuela, despite its economic failure and institutional collapse, according to the report. Refugees International called on foreign donors to boost the “relatively meager” aid Colombia has received to deal with the migration crisis.
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