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“Humanitarian Corridors”: A Legal Scheme to Deter Venezuelans from Entering Ecuador?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2024

Juan-Andrés Fuentes
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Abstract

This article analyzes the so-called “humanitarian corridors” put in place by the Ecuadorian government as part of a domestic policy to move Venezuelan migrants out of Ecuador. Within this context, the author examines the concept of the humanitarian corridor from the perspective of international law, and demonstrates that Ecuador's corridors did not serve the purpose for which they were allegedly created.

Keywords

humanitarian corridorimmigrantsrefugeesVenezuelansimmigration policy
Type
Article
Information
International Journal of Legal Information , Volume 51 , Issue 3 , Winter 2023 , pp. 158 - 165
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by International Association of Law Libraries

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Footnotes

*

The author wants to express deep gratitude to AJ Blechner, Julienne Grant, and Mia Drut, for enriching the content of this article.

References

1 See Jessica M. Vaughn and Bryan Griffith, “Map: Sanctuary Cities, Counties, and States,” Center for Immigration Studies, last updated Dec. 22, 2023, https://cis.org/Map-Sanctuary-Cities-Counties-and-States.

2 See J. Goodman, “Texas Has Bused 50,000 Migrants. Now it Wants to Arrest Them Instead,” New York Times (Oct. 18, 2023), https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/18/us/migrants-buses-texas-abbott.html.

3 Brad D. Jokisch, “Ecuador Juggles Rising Emigration and Challenges Accommodating Venezuelan Arrivals,” Migration Policy Institute (Oct. 18, 2023), https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/ecuador-migration-trends-emigration-venezuelans.

4 de Flores, Raquel Álvarez, “Evolución Histórica de las Migraciones en Venezuela,” Aldea Mundo 11, no. 22 (Nov. 2006–Abr. 2007): 89–93Google Scholar.

5 Ibid.

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11 Ibid.

12 Pirovino, Sandro and Papyrakis, Elissaios, “Understanding the Global Patterns of Venezuelan Migration: Determinants of an Expanding Diaspora,” Development Studies Research 10, no. 1 (2023): 2147561CrossRefGoogle Scholar, https://doi.org/10.1080/21665095.2022.2147561.

13 Encyclopedia Britannica, s.v. “Ecuador,” by Homero Pozo Vélez, Murdo J. MacLeod, and Gregory W. Knapp, last updated Jan. 13, 2024, https://www.britannica.com/place/Ecuador.

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15 L'Homme, Maelle, “Humanitarian Corridors: Negotiated Exceptions at Risk of Manipulation,” Journal of Humanitarian Affairs 4, no. 1 (2022): 48–52Google Scholar.

16 Ibid., 50.

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18 United Nations General Assembly, Humanitarian Assistance to Victims of Natural Disasters and Similar Emergency Situations: Draft Resolution, UN Doc A/C.3/45/L.27 (June 1, 1990), https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/101874?ln=en.

19 United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, “Glossary of Terms: Pauses During Conflict,” accessed Jan. 28, 2024, https://www.unocha.org/sites/unocha/files/dms/Documents/AccessMechanisms.pdf.

20 “How Humanitarian Corridors Work to Help People in Conflict Zones,” International Committee of the Red Cross, June 3, 2022, https://www.icrc.org/en/document/how-humanitarian-corridors-work.

21 Kenneth Chan Yoon Onn, “The International Law of Protected Spaces and the Collapse of the Humanitarian Corridors in Ukraine,” EJIL: Talk! (Mar. 11, 2022), https://www.ejiltalk.org/the-international-law-of-protected-spaces-and-the-collapse-of-the-humanitarian-corridors-in-ukraine/.

22 Neža Kogovšek Šalamon, “Legal Implications of the ‘Humanitarian Corridor,’” in Razor-Wired: Reflections on Migration Movements through Slovenia in 2015, eds. Neža Kogovšek Šalamon and Veronica Bajt (Ljubljana, Slovenia: Peace Institute, 2016), 40, https://www.mirovni-institut.si/en/publications/razor-wired-reflections-on-migrant-movements-through-slovenia-in-2015/; see also Maja Ladic and Katarina Vucko, “Slovenia's Response to Increased Arrivals of Refugees: We Don't Want Them But We Also Don't Understand Why They Don't Want to Stay,” in Razor-Wired, 18–23.

23 Šalamon, “Legal Implications,” 48.

24 Sant'Egidio, Humanitarian Corridors, accessed Jan. 28, 2024, https://www.santegidio.org/pageID/30112/langID/en/fromDate/01%252F01%252F2016/tags/1568/Humanitarian-Corridors.html; see also “Humanitarian Corridors in Italy: A Legal and Safe Alternative,” accessed Jan. 28, 2024, https://raisd-h2020.eu/project/humanitarian-corridors-in-italy-a-legal-and-safe-alternative/.

25 Sant’ Egidio, “Humanitarian Corridors.”

26 Brugnoli, Alberto and Matteini, Matteo, “Italy as a Gateway to Europe for African Migration: How to Deal with the Doll's House Effect?” Regional Science Policy & Practice 10, no. 4 (2018): 253–68, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1757780223003207CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

27 United Nations, “General Assembly Adopts Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, as United Nations, International Organization for Migration Sign Key Agreement,” UN Doc GA/11820 (Sep. 19, 2016), https://press.un.org/en/2016/ga11820.doc.htm.

28 United Nations General Assembly, New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, UN Doc A/71/L.1 (Sep. 19, 2016), https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/migration/generalassembly/docs/globalcompact/A_RES_71_1.pdf.

29 Ley Orgánica de Movilidad Humana, Asamblea Nacional, Registro Oficial no. 938 - Suplemento, Feb. 6, 2017.

30 Ibid., art. 170.

31 Acuerdo no. 907, Establécese el Procedimiento para la Aplicación de la Disposición contenida en el Régimen Sancionatorio de la Ley Orgánica de Movilidad Humana y su Reglamento, en Relación al Cobro de Multas por Faltas Migratorias, Ministerio del Interior, Registro Oficial no. 229, Apr. 25, 2018.

32 Resolución no. 000152, Viceministerio de Movilidad Humana, Aug. 9, 2018, https://www.cancilleria.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/resolucion_152_estado_de_emergencia_2018.pdf.

33 Ibid., ¶ 4 of the Preamble.

34 Ibid., art. 2.

35 Ibid. (emphasis added). I highlight “humanitarian attention” here because this work's focus is to determine whether Ecuador's actions sought to promote the welfare of Venezuelan migrants.

36 Ibid., art. 3.

37 Ibid., art. 7.

38 Resolución no. SGR-0105-2018, Declaratoria de Emergencia Debido al Incremento del Flujo Migratorio de Ciudadanos Venezolanos, Secretaria General de Riesgo, Aug. 9, 2018, https://www.gestionderiesgos.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2018/08/Resoluci%C3%B3n-No.-SGR-105-2018.pdf.

39 Plan Integral para la Atención y Protección de Derechos en el Contexto del Incremento del Flujo Migratorio Venezolano en Ecuador, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana, Sep. 2018, https://www.cancilleria.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/ANEXO-1-Plan-Integral-atencio%CC%81n-ciudadanos-venezolanos.pdf.

40 Ibid., 61.

41 Ibid., 63.

42 Reuters, “Ecuador Abre Corredor Humanitario para Movilizar a Venezolanos, Anuncia Salida del ALBA,” Yahoo Noticias, Aug. 23, 2018, https://es-us.noticias.yahoo.com/ecuador-abre-corredor-humanitario-para-movilizar-venezolanos-anuncia-225042045.html?guccounter=1.

43 “El Gobierno de Ecuador Extendió el Estado de Emergencia por la Migración Venezolana,” Infobae, Sep. 29, 2018, https://www.infobae.com/america/venezuela/2018/09/29/el-gobierno-de-ecuador-extendio-el-estado-de-emergencia-por-la-migracion-venezolana/.

44 Plan Integral, 37 (n 39).

45 Various Peruvian and Ecuadorian sources provide this information. See, e.g., “Ecuador: 250 Venezolanos Son Trasladados Gratis Hasta Frontera con el Perú,” El Comercio, Aug. 23, 2018, https://elcomercio.pe/mundo/latinoamerica/ecuador-250-venezolanos-son-trasladados-gratis-frontera-peru-fotos-noticia-549612-noticia/?ref=ecr; EFE, “Venezolanos se Agolpan en Frontera de Ecuador para Llegar a Perú,” Listin Diario, June 13, 2019, https://listindiario.com/las-mundiales/2019/06/13/569818/venezolanos-se-agolpan-en-frontera-de-ecuador-para-llegar-a-peru.

46 Acuerdo no. 000242, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana, Establécese Como Requisito Previo al Ingreso a Territorio Ecuatoriano la Presentación del Pasaporte con una Vigencia Mínima de Seis Meses Previa a su Caducidad a los Ciudadanos de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela, a Partir del 18 de Agosto de 2018, Registro Oficial no. 328, Sep. 17, 2018.

47 Natalia Plazas, “Ecuador: Un Tribunal Anuló la Solicitud de Pasaporte a Venezolanos,” France 24, Aug. 25, 2018, https://www.france24.com/es/20180825-ecuador-peru-venezuela-pasaporte-migrantes.

48 “Perú exigirá Pasaporte a Venezolanos desde el 25 de Agosto,” Andina, Aug. 17, 2018, https://andina.pe/agencia/noticia-peru-exigira-pasaporte-a-venezolanos-desde-25-agosto-721328.aspx.

49 Acuerdo Ministerial no. 244, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana, Dispónese que el Ingreso de Ciudadanos Venezolanos que Deseen Utilizar no un Pasaporte sino su Cédula de Identidad para Entrar en el Territorio del Ecuador a Través de los Puntos Autorizados por la Ley, se Verificará Cumpliendo con la Validación de Dicho Documento de Identidad, Registro Oficial no. 332, Sep. 21, 2018.

50 Acuerdo Interministerial no. 0000001, Requiérese a los Ciudadanos Venezolanos que Deseen Ingresar a Territorio del Ecuador, además de los Documentos Establecidos en el Acuerdo Ministerial no. 244, de 22 agosto de 2018, la Presentación del Certificado de Antecedentes Penales del País de Origen, o del País de Residencia Durante los últimos Cinco Años, Debidamente Apostillado o Legalizado, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana – Ministerio del Interior, Registro Oficial no. 414 – Segundo Suplemento, Jan. 25, 2019. Some exceptions were allowed; see Acuerdo Interministerial no. 0000003, Ministerio de Gobierno - Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana. Registro Oficial no. 17 - Suplemento, Aug. 14, 2019.

51 Corte Constitucional del Ecuador, Case no. 0014-19-IN, Feb. 27, 2019, http://doc.corteconstitucional.gob.ec:8080/alfresco/d/d/workspace/SpacesStore/327ea82c-7604-4a52-8261-8a189c85b1bf/0014-19-in-auto.

52 Acuerdo Ministerial no. 0000103, Otórguese la Visa de Residencia Temporal de Excepción, por razones humanitarias, en el marco del proceso de amnistía migratoria dispuesta mediante Decreto Ejecutivo no. 826 de 25 de julio de 2019, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana, Registro Oficial no. 5 – Segundo Suplemento, July 26, 2019.

53 Sara España, “Ecuador restringirá la entrada de Venezolanos por la llegada de 4.000 al día,” El País, Aug. 18, 2018, https://elpais.com/internacional/2018/08/17/actualidad/1534500798_245140.html.

54 “Crisis de Venezuela: En qué Consiste la Visa Humanitaria que Pide Perú a los Venezolanos y por qué Genera Polémica,” BBC, June 16, 2019, https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-48651272.

55 “Ecuador Reporte Operacional – Junio 2019,” R4V, June 2019, https://www.r4v.info/sites/default/files/2021-06/%5BCLEAN%5D%20Informe%20de%20Situaci%C3%B3n%20GTRM%20%28Junio%202019%29%20ESP.pdf.

56 “Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela,” R4V, accessed Jan. 9, 2024, https://www.r4v.info/en/refugeeandmigrants.

57 “Regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela January–December 2019,” R4V, accessed Feb. 4, 2024, https://www.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl486/files/press_release/file/rmrp_venezuela_2019_onlineversion_final.pdf.

58 “El Gobierno de Ecuador Extendió el Estado de Emergencia por la Migración Venezolana,” Infobae, Sep. 29, 2018, https://www.infobae.com/america/venezuela/2018/09/29/el-gobierno-de-ecuador-extendio-el-estado-de-emergencia-por-la-migracion-venezolana/.

59 France 24 Español, “Venezolanos Viajan rumbo a Perú en 36 Buses Fletados por Ecuador,” France 24, Aug. 24, 2018, video, 1:50, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0nVmwm59lk.

60 Beyers, Christiaan and Nicholls, Esteban, “Government Through Inaction: The Venezuelan Migratory Crisis in Ecuador,” Journal of Latin American Studies 52, no. 3 (2020): 633–57CrossRefGoogle Scholar.