"Forgotten refugees in Latin America”was the title of an event Caritas held at the UN’s refugee agency’s annual meeting recently. Discrimination, human rights violations and the plight of women refugees in Ecuador were some of the issues discussed.

Colombia is the main source of the refugee overspill on the continent. The violent conflict saw 4.5 million people made homeless within the country over a 20-year period. It has forced many hundreds of thousands more to flee beyond Colombia’s borders.

Caritas raises awareness on an international, regional, national and local level regarding the dramatic and often over-looked refugee situation in Latin America. From local communities, with its “Human Mobility”   campaign, right up to UN level, it wants to see improvements in the social, legal and political status of refugees.

In Ecuador, it wants to raise awareness among civil society and governments about the need for policies which promote and protect the human rights of migrants, their families and the refugee population in general.

Caritas Ecuador is urging action in the following areas:
  • The protection of all displaced persons not only those registered as refugees.
    A social programme for refugees.
  • Capacity building in different sectors of governments to boost their efforts on human rights and national policies to protect refugees. 

Opportunities to improve the public image of refugees and create a positive public opinion towards them. 
Include the promotion, the implementation, the follow up and the evaluation of the Mexico Plan of Action in national policies towards refugees.

Earlier this year Caritas made recommendations to the UN regarding the situation of the victims of the Colombia conflict [http://blog.caritas.org/2008/08/21/terrorism-landmines-volcanoesand-bad-driving/], including the internally displaced and refugees.

The recommendations:

  • Pay greater UN attention to the Colombia crisis and its effects.
  • Strengthen the role of OHCHR (the UN’s human rights office) in Colombia.
    Increase the presence of the UN’s refugee agency in border areas to represent people who have fled to Ecuador, Peru, Panama and Venezuela.
  • Ensure that recommendations from the ground are listened to and acted upon.
    Protect vulnerable populations such as child soldiers, women and afro-Caribbean communities.
  • Support efforts to document and analyse extra-judicial killings, boost support for judicial independence and promote international standards to address impunity.
  • Firmly place the Colombia conflict on the agenda of the Alliance of Civilisations and the UN Peacebuilding Commission.