Brasilia (Agenzia Fides) - The digital platform "MigraSegura" is aimed at migrants, especially Venezuelans looking for reliable information about basic services and the migration policy in Brazil and Ecuador. The digital offer is the result of the collaboration between Caritas Ecuador and Caritas Brazil, which launched the initiative with the support of the "JuntosEsMejor Challenge" foundation, USAID and the Inter-American Development Bank, as well as with the support of the Catholic Relief Services (CRS). The platform was officially launched on August 26th via the website www.facebook.com/migrasegura.
Venezuelan migrants, who are often victims of human trafficking networks and criminal groups due to the lack of guidance, should be informed on the platform in good time. With more than five and a half million Venezuelans estimated to have left their country as a result of the crisis in Veneuela, "there is a need to provide information to Venezuelan refugees and migrants in order to save lives and provide truthful information to the decision-making process so that they can travel safely".
The planning of the project began at the end of 2020. A study was conducted by interviewing a sample of 807 representatives of Venezuelan families (400 in Ecuador and 407 in Brazil), and 15 experts (6 women and 9 men) in representation of organizations that have extensive experience of working with this population. The data collection was carried out in 8 cities in Brazil and 6 cities in Ecuador. The study revealed that around 66% of people who left Venezuela for Brazil and Ecuador had no information about their host countries. The main reasons for families to leave Venezuela are the lack of food in the country (75%), the lack of jobs (70%) and limited access to health services and medicines (58%). The main reasons for choosing Brazil and Ecuador as destination countries are better job opportunities (68%), better security (47%) and better educational opportunities for children and young people (39%). (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 28/8/2021)