IOM officer in a street wearing a vest and with COVID-19 protective gear. Referential photo.
Venezuela’s Ombudsman’s Office and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have agreed on cooperation and protection mechanisms for Venezuelan migrants.
In a meeting between the Venezuelan Ombudsman, Alfredo Ruiz, and the IOM representative in Venezuela, Jorge Vallés, an agreement was reached to train workers of Venezuelan State institutions on the human rights of migrants.
The training of workers and officials of public institutions will be focused on the development of the tasks that they must fulfill, especially for the care and protection of migrants in border areas, in order to guarantee that migrants receive dignified and humane treatment.
Ombudsman Ruiz highlighted the role of the IOM for its help in the return of Venezuelans from abroad, especially for the work that the organization has carried out in the border states with Colombia and Brazil.
#Boletin Defensoría del Pueblo y la Misión de la Organización Internacional para la Migración de la ONU acuerdan colaboración conjunta ▶️https://t.co/kPDE9jZxaR pic.twitter.com/LeiOnVY0RS
— Defensor del Pueblo (@Defensoria_Vzla) October 28, 2021
He added that the Venezuelan government and the IOM have worked with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to guarantee the rights of migrants.
Ruiz also highlighted the creation of the Special Defense Office for the Protection of Migrants, Refugees and Victims of Human Trafficking to take care to those referring to these cases, which require special attention.
Once these types of cases are presented, they are offered technical support and specialized advice from the different dependencies of the Special Defense Office.
In this regard, the IOM representative stated that the international organization is currently working with the Venezuelan Attorney General’s Office, and soon it will also start coordinating with the Ministry for the Interior, Justice and Peace to combat human trafficking.
The Venezuelan government has taken various measures to guarantee and protect the rights of migrants, which have intensified since the start of the pandemic.
Featured image: IOM officer, wearing an organizational uniform and COVID-19 protective gear, in a street. File photo.
(RedRadioVE) by Ana Perdigón
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SC
