Venezuelan Population in Peru in Times of COVID-19: Fighting Against Adversity to Achieve Social Inclusion

Abstract

Before 2014, Peru had never been a common destination country for migrants and refugees. However, the exodus of people coming from Venezuela would lead the country to become the second in the world to receive this population in absolute numbers, with 830 000 as of July 2020 (Bahar et al., 2020, p. 9).Although at the beginning the State decided to adopt an open-door policy regarding the entry and permanence of Venezuelans, since mid-2018 migration control has become more restrictive. This situation has become even more adverse for them since the beginning of the pandemic of COVID-19, as they have had to go through situations of discrimination, despite its condition of especial vulnerability.Given this scenario, this article will examine certain actions and omissions carried out by the State, which reveal violations of human rights of these people, fostered by a public opinion of rejection towards them. Finally, the importance of developing citizen awareness actions questioning these perceptions and encouraging social inclusion will also be analyzed.