- The president of the NGO Yo Te Apoyo, Betzabeth Jaramillo, clarified that this measure could prevent people from falling into migrant trafficking and human rights violations.
The non-governmental organization (NGO) Yo Te Apoyo Ecuador reported on August 26 that at least 90 thousand Venezuelans could benefit from the new regularization process approved by the government of Ecuador.
Betzabeth Jaramillo, president of Yo te Apoyo, stressed that this process is important because it will allow foreigners to escape from “migratory irregularity,” a situation that exposes them to different risk scenarios.
“The important thing about this case is that migrants can leave an area of what we call irregular migration, because it is difficult to get out of irregular migration and they can fall into networks of human trafficking and human rights violations, just for not having documents that guarantee regularity or stability in Ecuador,” Jaramillo said in an interview for VPI Tv.
How to access regularization
To access this regularization, migrants must meet certain requirements, including having completed the Migratory Stay Registration process that began in June 2022.
They must also have a certificate of said registration, even if it has expired, and not have obtained the Exceptional Temporary Residence Visa (Virte II).
Migrants must also present their Venezuelan identity card, a valid passport or one that has expired for up to five years, and not represent a threat to the security of the Ecuadorian state.
The regularization process will take eight months and applicants will have to fill out an application form that they can obtain free of charge. However, applicants will have to cover all costs of the visa and citizenship card.
Likewise, Virte II will be valid for two years, extendable for another two years, allowing beneficiaries to change their immigration status during that time.
Ecuador’s immigration amnesty for Venezuelan migrants
On August 23, the Ecuadorian government announced an immigration amnesty and a new regularization process for Venezuelans and their families who are in the country and who have an expired certificate of immigration status or who have not yet obtained a special visa.
This action took place after Venezuelan migrants demanded a new regularization from the Ecuadorian authorities in June 2024.
At that time, the Venezuela Association in Ecuador warned of the risk that many Venezuelans who have accessed regularization could lose that right, because in September 2024 the validity of the Virte begins to expire, which allowed thousands of foreigners to regularize their status between 2022 and 2023.
On June 1, 2023, the government of Ecuador granted immigration amnesty to Venezuelans and their relatives who had not registered their entry into the country and are in an irregular situation.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility indicated that the then president of the country, Guillermo Lasso, signed executive decree 753 with the measure.
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2024-08-27 17:28:05
