A Study of the Colombian Venezuelan Migration Crisis: What Drives Colombia's Open Arms Response?

Abstract

For several years Colombia has been the country of destination for Venezuelan migrants and refugees fleeing their country. With over 1.6 million Venezuelans in Colombia by 2019, Colombia has had to figure out ways to respond to the needs of the migrants now residing there. This thesis aims at answering why the Colombian government has adopted open arm policy strategies for meeting the education, health, and labor needs of migrants. Interviews were conducted with Colombian government officials and leaders of international organizations that are working in cooperation with the government to integrate Venezuelan migrants into Colombian society. Using existing research, data, and the information collected from these interviews, this thesis analyzes Colombia’s policy response and the motivations and incentives behind their actions. Despite there being a multitude of reasons why the Colombian government might be motivated to take an open arms approach to migration, this thesis focuses on three main functional imperatives for Colombia to tackle the response to this crisis. The first is that the Colombian government is following international law with their response. Second, the government is hoping to create educated citizens who can then productively be a part of economic development. Finally, the Colombian government is motivated by their high priority of creating citizen security for the Colombian and Venezuelan community. Additionally, this thesis concludes with broader policy implications and how Colombia serves as a benchmark for countries around the world who are experiencing similar or may experience similar migration influxes.