The UN welcomes Argentina’s decision to facilitate the entry of Venezuelans

United Nations agencies welcomed on Thursday Argentina’s decision to allow entry and the regularization of Venezuelan migrants whose documents have expired, in the face of the difficulties posed by the closure of the Venezuelan Consulate in Buenos Aires, following the elections in their country on July 28.

The Regional Interagency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela (R4V), co-led by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), applauded this “innovative” special regime for Venezuelan refugees and migrants.

“Argentina has taken a crucial step “recognizing the challenges faced by migrants and refugees from Venezuela, many of whom lack valid documents,” said Eduardo Stein, Joint Special Representative of UNHCR and IOM for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela, in a statement.

According to Stein, “This provision not only promotes their professional development, but also benefits Argentina. By fostering social inclusion and harnessing the potential of a working population that contributes to the country’s growth, it also strengthens its economy.”

When will the entry and regularization of Venezuelans begin?

The statement detailed that The measure will come into force on September 20 with an initial validity of 90 days, extendable, and “seeks to provide protection and lasting solutions, allowing temporary and permanent residence,” also relaxing documentation requirements with passports and ID cards expired for up to 10 years, and simplifies proof of entry with birth certificates for minors.

To justify the measure, the resolution of the National Directorate of Migration (DNM) of Argentina indicated that Venezuelans “have left their country of origin in conditions of extreme vulnerability and with expired travel documentation or without any documentation at all,” a situation “drastically aggravated by the indefinite closure of Venezuela’s diplomatic representation in Argentina.

Following the July 28 elections in Venezuela, in which Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner by the National Electoral Council, a result questioned by much of the international community and which the opposition denounced as fraud, the government demanded the departure of diplomats from several countries, including Argentina.

In response, Venezuelan diplomats in those countries, such as those established in Buenos Aires, they left their representation.

The R4V Platform The statement on Thursday recalled that after the recent suspension of diplomatic and consular relations between Venezuela and seven countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, its partners have asked “the host governments” of Venezuelans to make the processes for these nationals more flexible, as Ecuador, Chile, and now Argentina have done.

He requested, according to the note, “that they recognize or expand the recognition of expired Venezuelan passports and identity documentsreconsider the deadlines for national regularization initiatives, suspend measures aimed at returning Venezuelans to their country of origin, and keep their borders open.”