NEW YORK - The number of Venezuelans fleeing their country could rise to 7 million this year. The Organization of American States (OAS) is concerned about the growing vulnerability of migrants. The pandemic has exacerbated the migration crisis in 2020, according to a new report from the OAS.
Although the outflow slowed due to the closing of the borders, the lockdown also brought new difficulties for Venezuelan refugees and migrants, news service IPS reports. There are currently reported to be more than 5 million Venezuelan refugees in host countries, often under increasingly difficult circumstances.
According to the figures from the OAS, about 5,000 Venezuelans fled their country every day. Since March 2020, the outflow along regular routes has stopped, but the clandestine outflow has increased. According to the report, the outflow can only stop if Venezuela makes the transition to a democracy.