International Development Grant
Promoting the Rights of Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants in Latin America and the Caribbean
Project Number: CA-3-P010871001
Status: Operational
Country/Region:
Regional Focus:
Maximum Contribution: $4,982,215.00
Start Date: October 11, 2022
End Date: July 10, 2025
Duration: 2.7 years
Project Description
This project aims to enhance the protection of Venezuelan refugees and migrants and host community members particularly women and girls in Colombia Peru and the wider Latin America and Caribbean region. In Colombia the project aims to strengthen the Government’s civil society migrant and host community’s capacities to prevent and respond to the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents particularly girls. This is done by increasing access to sexual exploitation response routes and protocols and sexual and reproductive health services. Tools and training for comprehensive sexuality education. Also it includes the prevention of gender-based violence developed and delivered to educational institutions and health clinics serving refugee and migrant populations. In Peru the project seeks to improve access to documentation and regularization services for Venezuelan refugees and migrants ultimately contributing to their integration and protection. Project activities in Peru include: (1) establishing assistance and orientation points for the provision of regularization information and services; (2) implementing cash-based interventions to facilitate access to regularization procedures; (3) conducting outreach campaigns for information and orientation on regularization services; and (4) providing support to the Peruvian Superintendence of Migration in the roll-out of the enhanced regularization process. Across the region the project aims to strengthen capacities to respond to human trafficking in countries hosting Venezuelan refugees and migrants. It does so by supporting civil society organizations that assist victims of trafficking developing and validating a regional protocol to facilitate assistance across countries. It also supports training project partners on safeguarding against gender-based violence and sexual exploitation and abuse. The International Organization for Migration implements the project in collaboration with local partners.
Expected Results
The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) strengthened prevention and response to the sexual exploitation and abuse of children and adolescents particularly girls in Colombia; (2) improved access by Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Peru particularly women and girls to integration and protection services through regularization; and (3) improved access to protection and support by Victims of Human Trafficking particularly women and girls in countries hosting Venezuelan refugees and migrants.
Progress & Results Achieved
Results achieved as of July 2024 include: (1) completed a rapid assessment on the sexual exploitation of refugee and migrant children and adolescents in virtual environments and in contexts of human trafficking in Colombia; (2) designed and implemented a communication strategy (known as MODO SEGURO) to prevent sexual exploitation of refugee and migrant children. Disseminated the strategy through Colombian mass media including television radio and press reaching 2.3 million people; (3) developed and disseminated an educational virtual toolkit including information on protection routes and protocols preventing the sexual exploitation of refugee and migrant children in Colombia; (4) trained 162 Colombian national and local authorities on preventing sexual exploitation of refugee and migrant children; (5) engaged 3 000 girls boys and adolescents through 60 community-based activities to raise awareness and prevent sexual exploitation and trafficking in persons; (6) established an Orientation and Assistance Point (PAO) in Lima (Peru) then informed and oriented 2 628 refugees and migrants (63% women) on their rights; (7) supported 127 498 refugees and migrants mainly from Venezuela (50% women) in initiating their regularization process through biometric enrollment with the National Superintendency of Migration; (8) trained 132 Peruvian officials (62% women) resulting in enhanced capacities to provide gender-sensitive and rights-based assistance to migrants; (9) published "Trajectories of Venezuelan women in Peru: Migratory regularization and integration" highlighting women’s experiences in their integration process and in accessing rights; and (10) reached 625 000 beneficiaries and implemented a massive communication campaign known as “Pa’lante con papeles” which promoted regularization and access to rights and services for refugees and migrants in Peru.
Key Information
Executing Agency:
IOM – International Organization for Migration
Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada
Program:
NGM Americas
Last Modified:
September 19, 2025
Development Classifications
DAC Sector:
Aid Type: Project-type interventions
Collaboration: Bilateral
Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation
Selection Mechanism:
Department-Initiated