Process to regularize more than 300,000 Venezuelans in Ecuador begins next week with the migratory registry

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(CNN Spanish) --

The Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry reported this Friday the details of the process to achieve the migratory regularization of thousands of Venezuelan citizens who have settled in Ecuador.

The process begins this September 1 with the so-called "immigration registration" that will allow the creation of an extensive database, according to the institution.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador, Juan Carlos Holguín, said in a dialogue with journalists that regularization is an important means for the "real inclusion of migrants" in the labor and social spheres.

The foreign minister added that the Ecuadorian consulate in Caracas is being strengthened so that Venezuelan citizens can have a higher level of consular services in this delegation.

“It does not mean a change in Ecuador's position with respect to the (Nicolás) Maduro regime, but we require more consular work.

It is one of the most important offices for the migratory problem,” Holguín clarified.

The Foreign Ministry indicated that 324,000, of more than half a million Venezuelans living in Ecuador, will be part of the first phase of the regularization process that will include citizens with their family group: spouse, partner and children.

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How is the registration of Venezuelans carried out?

The regularization process has the support of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Ecuadorian Migration Police.

It is scheduled to start with the registration of Venezuelan citizens from September 1 to 12 of this year.

This registration will consist of face-to-face meetings with those who come to be part of the process, a biometric registration will be carried out in 17 points throughout the country;

various analysts will validate the information and then confirm the registration.

At the end of the process, a “permanence registration certificate” will be issued.

• Ecuador is the third country with the highest number of drug seizures, according to the UN

The Minister of the Interior, Patricio Carrillo, said that during the registration process it will be possible to verify if there are immigrants who are immersed in acts of organized crime or other types of crimes.

He insisted that the registry will allow "demystifying and avoiding stigmatization" of foreign citizens and offer real figures on their situation in the country.

Carrillo warned that it is difficult to obtain information from the Venezuelan State and that Ecuador is relying on intelligence networks from other countries, as well as Interpol and other security cooperation organizations.

“Unfortunately Venezuela has isolated itself in all these issues and maintains a great opacity about its indicators.

There is not a lot of trust, there is not a lot of articulation, but there are other mechanisms.

It is complex, but we need the registry, to give people a face,” emphasized Minister Carrillo.

Foreign Minister Holguín said that the registry is a sensitive issue, but that it will be accompanied by an information campaign in different media called "I am here" to avoid a negative reaction and insist to people that this decision is intended to offer them better living conditions, include them more in the productive life of the country and that they can access different services.

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More than 500,000 Venezuelans, in an irregular situation in Ecuador

The "permanence registration certificate" will be the migratory support of Venezuelans who have completed the registration process.

The UNHCR representative in Ecuador, Giovanni Bassu, said that in the Andean country there are more than half a million Venezuelans in an irregular situation after having left their native country in recent years looking for a safe place to start a new life.

“Having an identification document and an identity document is essential for a person to integrate into society.

A person without that is more at risk of (suffering) abuse and violations;

and at greater risk of being left out of protection, with more barriers to integrate and contribute to the local economy”, warned Bassu.

Bassu pointed out that immigrants long to open businesses, work formally and integrate into society.

A situation that seems unattainable for those who live under the shadow of irregularity.

“This regularization process will give thousands of people the opportunity to say: 'I am here to contribute, to build and create community.

To exercise my rights and fulfill my duties like any other person'.

We salute the solidarity of millions of Ecuadorians.

There is not a single person in human mobility who is not eternally thanking this country and its people”, pointed out Giovanni Bassu.

The IOM reported that during the migratory exodus of recent years, about 1.8 million Venezuelans crossed through Ecuador to seek different destinations in South America.