Forgotten Frontlines: Aruba, Curaçao, and the Venezuelan Displacement Crisis
Security Theme
Human Security
Keywords
Migration, Caribbean, security, migration crisis, Aruba, Venezuela, Curaçao, displacement, criminal networks, human rights
Description
The island of Aruba can often be seen from the shores of Venezuela’s Falcón state, just 15 miles away. Together with nearby Curaçao (only 40 miles from Venezuela), the two islands have historic, mutually beneficial commerce, tourism, and migration ties with their mainland neighbor. But with Venezuela’s authoritarian turn in 2012 and subsequent economic collapse, human mobility patterns have shifted. Tens of thousands of Venezuelans harmed by the authoritarian regime have sought refuge in Aruba and Curaçao, two constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Once on the islands, a lack of legal pathways to residence and resources is compounded by the presence of criminal networks, putting a strain on human rights and further endangering an already vulnerable population.
Forgotten Frontlines: Aruba, Curaçao, and the Venezuelan Displacement Crisis
The island of Aruba can often be seen from the shores of Venezuela’s Falcón state, just 15 miles away. Together with nearby Curaçao (only 40 miles from Venezuela), the two islands have historic, mutually beneficial commerce, tourism, and migration ties with their mainland neighbor. But with Venezuela’s authoritarian turn in 2012 and subsequent economic collapse, human mobility patterns have shifted. Tens of thousands of Venezuelans harmed by the authoritarian regime have sought refuge in Aruba and Curaçao, two constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Once on the islands, a lack of legal pathways to residence and resources is compounded by the presence of criminal networks, putting a strain on human rights and further endangering an already vulnerable population.
