UN: Efforts to receive Venezuelans in Brazil now one year old
The protection and assistance activities under Operation Acolhida (Portuguese for “shelter”)—for Venezuelans coming to Brazil via Roraima state—are now celebrating their first anniversary. As part of festivities for the date, cultural and sports activities were held to promote the integration between refugees and immigrants and Brazilians living in state capital Boa Vista.
The celebrations are being organized by the Armed Forces, with the support of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Population Fund, UN Women, and the UN Children's Fund (Unicef). The state government of Roraima and the Boa Vista city authorities are also participating, along with the UN Development Program (UNPD).
Launched in March 2018, Operation Acolhida administers emergency assistance for welcoming Venezuelan refugees and immigrants in Brazil. Venezuelans are registered, receive official documents, and are vaccinated.
Those interested in staying in Brazil and advised to file for refugee status or a temporary residence visa. More vulnerable cases are sent to temporary shelters.
Resettlement
The operation also focuses on relocation efforts, whereby refugees and immigrants in Roraima are taken to other states across the country, with more opportunities for social and economic integration. Over 5.2 thousand Venezuelan refugees and immigrants have been resettled across 50 cities in 17 Brazilian states, according to UNHCR.
Official figures indicate that more than 240 thousand Venezuelans have entered Brazil since 2017, over half of whom have left the country. Some 160 thousand have had their status regularized—through the granting of refugee status (59 percent) or temporary residence visa (41).
Donations
In addition to engaging the population of Boa Vista and promoting interaction with refugees and immigrants, the Operation Acolhida celebrations include the collection of donations to improve the everyday lives of Venezuelans in Boa Vista. In order to have feijoada, take part in races and other events, locals are invited to donate school supplies, personal hygiene kits, and non-perishable foodstuffs.
The International Organization for Migration also got involved in the festivities with an instructional stand aimed at informing the population of Boa Vista about the activities being conducted in Brazil and the assistance made available to immigrants and those applying for refugee status in the country.
*With information from UN News
