Briefing: Lula’s first steps on humanitarian action, 100 days in - The New Humanitarian puts quality, independent journalism at the service of the millions of people affected by humanitarian crises around the world
Why a Lula-Maduro alliance has Venezuelans in Brazil worried - The New Humanitarian puts quality, independent journalism at the service of the millions of people affected by humanitarian crises around the world
Venezuelan migrants walk along a trail into Brazil, in the border city of Pacaraima, Brazil, in April 2019. (CNS photo/Pilar Olivares, Reuters)
Since 2018, over 265,000 Venezuelans have been admitted to Brazil as part of Operation Welcome, a relief effort administered by the Brazilian army. Fleeing economic and political crises in Venezuela, these refugees can count on assistance from the Brazilian government for a brief time, but the Covid-19 pandemic has intensified hardships that the most vulnerable among them including many indigenous peoples must face.
The program, which is coordinated with civic institutions including the Catholic Church, offers Brazilian residency and hosts the refugees and migrants in shelters for a limited time, until they are sent to other regions in the country to find work and start a new life.