Committee: United Nations High Commissions for Refugees

Topic: tackling the refugee problem in South America

Country: Argentina
Delegate: Delegate of Argentina

The world is in the grips of the monumental refugee crisis, where the South America have been
continuously facing the extremity of refugee problem due to the various internal conflicts arises in
Colombia to Brazil to Venezuela recently. The UN estimates that around 3 million Venezuelans
have migrated because of the poor economy resulted due to high inflation in the country and data
from national immigration authorities and other sources show that, countries in Latin America and
the Caribbean host an estimated 2.4 million refugees and migrants from Venezuela. The refugees
have not been accepted by the people of host country or tight border controls set by the host country
and unable to return back due to onging conflicted in the country.
Argentina is a South American receiving country with the fourth highest number of Venezuelans
and has been essaying the significant role to resolve the refugee problem since 1990s. The
government of Argentina has maintained the positive attitude towards the refugee’s human rights
and made a contribution to create the environment for refugees so that they will be able to enjoy
their basic rights. In 2002 the Regional Agreement for Nationals of Member States of the Common
Market of the South (MERCOSUR) was concluded and it led Argentina to build up its refugee
system and related institutions as a part of its new human rights-based approach and passed
legislation to raise its protection standard later in 2005. The government of the Republic of
Argentina, within the framework of International Human Rights Law and International Refugee
Law - expressed in its General Law for the Recognition and Protection of Refugees - signed a
Memorandum of Understanding with UNHCR in June 2005, within the guidelines agreed upon in
the Mexico Plan of Action to Strengthen International Protection for Refugees in Latin America:
the shared responsibility and duty of international solidarity A vast regularization program was
launched called ‘Patria Grande’ that aimed essentially at migrant workers from MERCOSUR
countries which guaranteed their right to stay in, leave and re-enter Argentina, guaranteed their
right to study and obtain work permits, and provided a first step to permanent residency. Argentina
has always an attitude of generosity towards the international community with regards to refugees
and adopted Cartagena Declaration, 1984 which affirms the importance of the right to asylum, the
principle of non-refoulement and the importance of finding durable solutions.
Argentina has adopted an open rights-based migration policy so, that Argentina has become the
main destination country for South American migrants. The reports of UN International
Organization on Migration show that 1,30,000 people from Venezuela have been migrated to
Argentina and assisted some with relocation inside of the country. Even Venezuela’s membership
in the Mercosur trade bloc was suspended, Argentina offers Mercosur visas to Venezuelans, which
are valid for 90 days. Venezuelans can apply for a temporary residency permit, valid for two years
and they have access to education and health services, and the government has helped match some
with job opportunities. In January 2019, Argentina introduced more flexible entry requirements
for Venezuelans. In late February 2019, a special decree facilitated the visa application process for
Venezuelans unable to secure all of the necessary documents in accordance with the usual
deadlines. The government of Argentina has been generous towards the migrants of Venezuela
and the recent example is that it provides immigrants extra time to present documents needed to
obtain residency due to delays in obtaining paperwork from Venezuela. Argentina is not just
welcoming Venezuelans but also helping relocate them to various parts of the country and
matching them with jobs and has made a huge progress to be able to tackle the crisis of refugee in
South America.
The rate of immigrants from Venezuela has been increasing due to the ongoing economic crisis
so, not only the South America but whole world should open their arms in order to resolve this
crisis. The focus should be shifted from the interest in the Venezuelan political conflict towards
the securement of the rights of the immigrants so, that they will be able to enjoy their basic rights.
The major problem has been to relocate the people or provide the residence to the immigrants and
the tight border control by the countries so the international community should adopt the open
policy and strengthen their asylum systems and agree to apply the Cartagena Declaration, in line
with regional and national law. The host countries will require more resources and should pressure
the international community to keep its word enshrined in the Global Compacts on Refugees and
Migrants to share the responsibility for displacement crises.

References:
https://www.amnesty.org

https://www.unhcr.org

https://www.un.org