Millions have fled the South American country in recent months seeking sanctuary in neighbouring countries
The United Nations is reporting that the number of people fleeing the country of Venezuela has exceeded 4 million since 2015. One million refugees have left in the last seven months alone due to the economic and political turmoil that has plagued the oil-rich nation for a number of years.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and The International Organisation for Migration have released a joint statement acknowledging that Venezuelans now constitute the largest displaced population group in the world.
Conditions in the country continue to deteriorate as the oil and gas industry, its main economic sector, has collapsed. Hyper-inflation is rife making the bolívar practically worthless, and there is also a shortage of currency. Refugees have undertaken perilous journeys to the nearby islands of Curaçao, Aruba and Trinidad and Tobago or have crossed over land to Columbia which lies to the west and shares a long border with the troubled nation. Columbia now reportedly has 1.3 million Venezuelan refugees, and migrants are also making their way to Peru, Ecuador and Brazil where they hope to find work in order to send money home to relatives who have remained behind. This migration has caused an increase in xenophobia in the neighbouring states, and Peru has recently implemented restrictions on the influx of Venezuelans by the introduction of a new visa system. In general however, most neighbouring countries continue to be fairly welcoming of the refugees for the time being.
