VENEZUELA REPORT /Oct., 10, 2018 NEWS BULLETIN FROM BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA
RETURN TO HOMELAND: A NEW BEGINNING Since last August, the Venezuelan government has responded in an original way to the situation of vulnerability of thousands of its nationals who are trapped in countries where they migrated but did not obtain humane opportunities, and where they were attacked, exploited and criminalized. The Return to the Homeland Plan (Plan Vuelta a la Patria), created by President Nicolás Maduro, establishes an air and land bridge for the voluntary return of those migrants and their families who lack their own means of return, and incorporates them into social programs, which are the most extensive in the continent. In less than two months, more than 7,000 migrants from eight countries have returned to their land to work for their families and the future of their homeland, which welcomes them with love and respect. This represents a new beginning for the sons and daughters of Simón Bolívar.
THE RETURN TO THE HOMELAND PLAN is a gamut of actions undertaken by the Venezuelan state in the area of human mobility designed to promote and facilitate the voluntary return of Venezuelans who are in conditions of vulnerability outside the country. The Plan is aimed at those nationals who manifest their free will to return to the country in order to reinsert themselves and resume their form of life in Venezuela. It offers, in addition to safe transfer, opportunities for the labor, social and cultural reintegration of the migrant and his or her family, in accordance with the system of social protection which is guaranteed by the “Social State of Law and Justice� established in the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The recent displacement of Venezuelan c i t i z e n s a b ro a d c o n s t i t u te s a n unprecedented situation of large-scale migration. This phenomenon is a result of various factors including psychological stress and economic difficulties produced by the financial blockade against our country, and a media and political campaign that induces the exit of large numbers of An airlift has allowed to bring Venezuelan citizens from Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Chile and Panama. The land returns have been from Brazil and Colombia.
people from Venezuelan territory. This campaign is based on the misleading offer of opportunities in countries that lack basic conditions for the migrant population and in many cases do not even offer the minimum guarantees of respect for the human dignity of migrants. The migratory movement in recent years according to the Venezuelan government does not constitute a mass exodus and does not involve a "migratory crisis." Due to its
unprecedented nature and its impact on numerous Venezuelan families, it is incumbent on the government to respond in a comprehensive way with effective measures with special attention to those nationals who are in a condition of personal or economic vulnerability, and have been victims of labor exploitation, xenophobia, or human trafficking.
BACKGROUND Since mid-2017, requests for aid to return to Venezuela made in Venezuelan diplomatic missions have increased for different reasons, a situation that has accelerated in 2018. This has occurred in the context of an international media and political campaign, which seeks to promote in public opinion the idea of the existence of a "migratory crisis" in Venezuela. This campaign is carried out through the massive On August 7, President Nicolรกs Maduro authorized the deployment in the world of the Return to Homeland Plan
dissemination of information that exaggerates and distorts and creates fake news with regard to Venezuelan migration. At the same time authorities of some governments of the region falsely claim to be receiving in their territory "millions of Venezuelans" and demand international resources while endorsing acts of aggression against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. In addition, Venezuelan consular missions have received numerous complaints about acts of xenophobia, discrimination, labor exploitation, trafficking in persons and scams against the Venezuelan migrant population in several countries. The concern for this situation led the President of Venezuela last July to put forward the PLAN FOR THE RETURN TO THE HOMELAND. Since the Plan was made public, the number of requests for support to return to Venezuela registered in
Peru and Colombia are the countries where the image of the Venezuelan Government is more ferociously attacked. These campaigns expose Venezuelan migrants to actions of xenophobia, exclusion and hate crimes
Venezuelan diplomatic missions has increased, particularly in South America. Since August, the registration of applications for the first return flight of ninety (90) Venezuelans from the Republic of Peru began to be systematized. The participation of the Venezuelan state as guarantor of the return process is without precedent world-wide. In compliance with its international responsibilities, Venezuela has notified and shared with multilateral organizations, such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the details of the Plan for the Return to the Homeland in order to link up with institutional efforts at the international level.
In early September, the President of the Republic ordered the implementation of a permanent airlift to accelerate the transfer of nationals registered in the plan. The diplomatic missions participate in each phase of the plan up until the migrant reaches Venezuelan soil, as we will describe next.
PHASES OF THE PLAN
The airlift ordered by the President is carried out through the airline of Venezuela, CONVIASA, at no cost to the repatriated citizens.
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Dissemination by different means of communication and social networks.
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Registration of applicants for incorporation into the plan.
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Prioritization of beneficiaries, taking into consideration the individual and family conditions of vulnerability and giving priority attention to family groups with children, adolescents, health cases and pregnancies.
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Final selection of beneficiaries.
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Convocation of Venezuelans interested in the Plan, the publicizing of the Plan’s objectives and perfecting the operation’s logistics.
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Boarding and transfer of the group to return by land or air.
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Welcome in Venezuela. The various state agencies led by the Foreign Ministry, as well as the Bandes, the Missions System, the Ministry of Popular Power in the Area of Health, the Ministry of Popular Power for the Communes, and the Ministry of Popular Power for Transportation receive and welcome the Venezuelans who arrive in the Simón Bolívar International Airport of Maiquetía and other reception points They then spend the night in a shelter that guarantees rest conditions on the first day of their return. ·
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Distribution to residential sites. With the support of the Ministry of Popular Power for Transportation, citizens are distributed to the different terminals where the Integrated System of Land Transportation (SITSSA) operates. SITSSA oversees the maximum capacity of the units that will take them to their destinations paid for by each of the families at a solidarity price.
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Incorporation into the nation’s social protection system. The Missions System organizes a schedule designed to come to the aid of the family for their reintegration and the activation of corresponding benefits.
• Attention to critical cases. The Ministry of Popular
Power in the Area of Health has initiated a process of monitoring and providing attention in health matters to beneficiaries and their families. In summary, since last August 26 to the present date, near 8,000 Venezuelan citizens have returned home. Support for voluntary return has been made by land and air, from Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Dominican Republic, Panama, Chile and Ecuador.
BALANCE OF THE RETURN TO THE HOMELAND PLAN August – September 2018 During the first six weeks of the implementation of the RETURN TO THE HOMELAND PLAN (until September 28), the following results are obtained:
Total nationals who returned to Venezuela
7.907 Countries where the Return to the Homeland is in execution: Country Brasil
The experience has been hard, the journey is long, but the return to Venezuela is satisfactory.
Returned 6.389
Perú
564
Ecuador
465
Colombia
305
Argentina
86
Republica Dominicana
95
Chile
2
Panamá
1
Modality of transportation. The RETURN TO THE HOMELAND RETURN PLAN has used air and land modalities for the transfer of returnees. Through the "airlift" ordered by President Nicolás Maduro and executed by the Venezuelan airline (Conviasa), a total of thirteen (13) flights with an average of 90 passengers per flight have been made to date; in special cases beneficiaries have been provided tickets for commercial flights.
The daily average of those returning by air and land. In four weeks of execution, the RETURN TO THE HOMELAND PLAN has facilitated the return of an average of 145 Venezuelans every day by various means. Country
Flights
Perú
6
Ecuador
5
Argentina
1
República Dominicana Total
1 13
Registered for transfer to Venezuela. As of September 28, a total of 9,207 people have registered in the diplomatic missions of Venezuela in six Latin American countries, requesting enrollment in the Return to the Homeland Plan. d
Registered for transfer to Venezuela
9.780 Demographic characteristics (gender). Of the total number of returnees until october 10, slightly more than half (55%) were women while 45% were men.
Demographic characteristics (age group). Among returnee migrants, there is a high percentage of children and adolescents (22%) and older adults (12%). A distinctive feature of Venezuelan migration is the large number of people who migrate as family nuclei. Based on these initial data, it could be assumed that as many as 32% of Venezuelan migrants for reasons of age may not be able to
participate in labor activity abroad. This is an additional obstacle to the adaptation and economic sustainability of migrant families.
Reasons for the return to Venezuela. The nationals have manifested different reasons to return to their nation. The most common factors include xenophobia, labor mistreatment, unemployment, and health problems, as well as the economic difficulties they face in the receiving countries. From the interviews carried out with the migrants and the data provided in the registration survey, the following facts emerge: • - 60% of returnees identified economic problems and the impossibility of obtaining decent employment in the countries to which they migrated as the first cause for their decision to return to Venezuela. •
- 47% stated as a reason for return the constant harassment in the host country that included major incidents of xenophobia and labor abuse.
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- 12% said they were suffering from serious health problems. This is a significant fact since foreign citizens who have not regularized their immigration status are not able to receive treatment in the nation’s health system. Returned Venezuelan migrants, particularly those who return from Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, have pointed to this problem.
Inter-institutional coordination. Executive Order No. 088 signed by President Nicolás Maduro on July 7, 2018 stipulated that THE RETURN TO THE HOMELAND PLAN must be executed on the basis of institutional coordination among different entities of the public administration. In the initial phase of the Plan, the task of coordination has been assumed by the Ministry of Popular Power for Foreign
Emotional scenes are seen at the Maiquetía Airport, Caracas, upon returning to the Homeland. Hundreds of families are reunited.
The Government of Venezuela receives the returnees, addresses their problems and invites them to work for the country. On the left. Repatriated family baby attended by the Ministry of Health upon arrival in Venezuela.
Affairs through the Directorate of Consular Relations and the Vice Ministry of International Communication. The following institutions are actively involved in the working group: - · Ministry of Popular Power for Foreign Affairs through Venezuelan Embassies and Consulates. - · The Social Vice-Presidency through the system of social programs known as “missions.” - · Ministry of Popular Power in the Area of Health. - · Ministry of Popular Power for the Communes. - · The Bank of Social Economic Development of Venezuela (BANDES). - · Ministry of Popular Power for Transportation - - The Venezuelan airline Conviasa - Transport System SITSSA. “Simon Bolívar” of Maiquetía International Airport. - Governorship of the State of Bolivar. - Bolivarian Armed Forces. - Bureau of the Protector of the state of Táchira.