Number of Venezuelans Claiming Asylum Worldwide Surged in 2018 - United Nations
More than 414,000 of Venezuelans have claimed asylum in different countries throughout the world in the past five years, but well over half of them sought asylum last year alone, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said in a statement on Friday
"Since 2014, over 414,000 asylum claims have been lodged by Venezuelans worldwide, nearly 60 percent of them (248,000), during 2018 alone," the statement said, adding that the surge is "a result of the situation in Venezuela."
UNHR explained that amid the dramatic increase in asylum cases, two thirds of Venezuelans have sought asylum in other Latin America countries, while the rest in North America and in some European states.
The agency noted in the statement that it works closely with various countries to enhance the asylum-seeking process, including the practice of registration and documentation.
UNHCR also reiterated the need to maintain the civilian and humanitarian character of asylum, but said the number of asylum applications represents only one part of the total outflow of Venezuelans, which is estimated at 3.4 million people.
"In addition to asylum seekers, Latin American countries have granted some 1.3 million residence permits and other forms of regular status to Venezuelans, which allow them access to basic services, including health and education and, in most countries, the right to work," the statement said.
Earlier on Friday, UNHCR Associate Communications Officer Alejandra Romo told Sputnik that the agency has not seen an increase in the migration flow of Venezuelans fleeing their country amid the ongoing political crisis.
Venezuela's political crisis escalated in January when opposition leader Juan Guaido proclaimed himself to be the country's interim president. The United States immediately recognized Guaido and seized billions of Dollars' worth of Venezuela's oil assets as well as threatened military action against the government of President Nicolas Maduro.
Maduro has called Guaido a puppet of the United States and accused Washington of attempting a coup d'etat to forcefully change the government in order to seize the Venezuela's oil and other assets.
Russia, China, Mexico, Turkey, Bolivia and a number of other countries have reaffirmed their support for Maduro as Venezuela's only legitimate president.
UNCHR is co-leading the Regional Response Plan for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela that focuses on direct emergency assistance, protection, socio-economic and cultural integration as well as on strengthening capacity in the refugee receiving countries.