Pope Francis thanked Colombia for “its courageous immigration policy with Venezuelans”

Pope Francis today thanked the Colombian authorities for the “courage” in creating a temporary protection status for Venezuelan migrants despite the country’s internal problems. “I join the Bishops of Colombia in expressing my gratitude for the decision of the Colombian authorities to implement the temporary protection status of the Venezuelan migrants present in the country ”, declared the pontiff. after praying to the Angelus.

Colombian government of the president Iván Duque promoted this measure in order to regularize millions of Venezuelans who have been forced to leave their country due to the crisis, although the intention is also to control illegal migration.

Francisco, leaning out of the window of the Apostolic Palace, said this initiative could promote “the reception, protection and integration” of migrants. In this sense, he appreciated the “courage” of the country’s authorities.

“That does not make it a very rich and very developed country, but a country with many problems of development, poverty, peace after nearly seventy years of guerrilla warfare. But with this problem, he had the courage to look at these immigrants and make this status..

And he concluded, in front of the faithful who listened to him in the Plaza de San Pedro: “Thank you to Colombia, thank you.”

The pontiff, before referring to the specific case of Colombia, assured that he “always” observes with “gratitude the commitment of those who work in favor of immigrants”.

The Statute is a bill of rights that will benefit some 2 million Venezuelan immigrants, regular or irregular, to provide long-term solutions to their needs and to remove those already established in the country from legal limbo, even with children born in Colombian territory.

The Statute, valid for ten years, gives Venezuelans “the possibility of living in Colombia, of working, of moving around the territory and of being included in the social security system, of course inclusion in health which does not affect them. has never been denied, education and finance. inclusion “, as illustrated by the director of Migration Colombia, Juan Francisco Espinosa.

Who can benefit from EFA?

Venezuelan migrants who are regularly in Colombia because they have obtained an entry and residence permit, have extended their stay or have obtained a special residence permit (PEP).

Also included in this temporary protection status are Venezuelan migrants who have requested refuge or those who process a visa before the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Likewise, Venezuelan irregular migrants who demonstrate that they were in Colombia before January 31, 2021 or those who enter the country regularly during the first two years of validity of the status, can benefit from EFA.

The implementation of the EFA, which will begin 90 days after the publication of the decree giving it legal life, will be in charge of Migración Colombia and will take place in two stages: the first will be virtual, and consists of the registration of foreigners. in the Single Register for Venezuelan Migrants, a mechanism that will allow the national government to characterize and identify the Venezuelan population living in Colombia.

The second phase, which will be done in person, will be the processing of a personal protection permit, a document of regularization and identification for Venezuelan citizens who avail themselves of the status.

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“The target for 2021 is 800,000 Venezuelans regularized”: Juan Francisco Espinosa, director of Migration Colombia