Colombia Grants Legal Status to 540,000 Migrants

Colombia will provide legal status to up to 540,000 Venezuelan migrants who are guardians of minors residing in the country, the Colombian migration agency announced on Tuesday. This initiative is part of Colombia’s ongoing efforts to address the influx of Venezuelan migrants fleeing their homeland’s political and economic crises.

Colombia has become a primary destination for millions of Venezuelans seeking refuge, with many others using it as a transit point to other countries. Official statistics indicate that more than 2.8 million Venezuelan migrants currently live in Colombia. The new measure will benefit adults responsible for approximately 270,000 minors who have permission to reside in the country.

The director of Colombia’s migration agency, Carlos Fernando Garcia, explained the purpose of the new measure. “It’s a special permission to stay, like the previous ones, that fundamentally seeks to integrate guardians, those people who have responsibility for minors who have a temporary protection permit and who live in Colombia,” Garcia said.

In 2021, under the administration of then-President Ivan Duque, Colombia offered 10-year legal status to Venezuelans residing in the country, a move that was widely accepted by many migrants. The current measure builds on this foundation, aiming to further integrate and support the Venezuelan migrant community in Colombia.

In recent years, Colombia has become the main destination for Venezuelan migrants in South America.

An estimated 2.5 million Venezuelans lived in Colombia in 2023, according to Migration Colombia.

Colombian authorities calculated that 98% of Colombia’s immigrant population originated from Venezuela.