After leaving their country, an increasing number of refugees and migrants from Venezuela face a generalized risk of eviction and homelessness in their host countries, a problem that worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. To raise awareness of this development and propose long-term solutions, the Regional Protection Sector of the Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela (R4V) is launching the data visualization project "No Home Away from Home".  The project, available in Spanish, English, French, and Portuguese, explains the impact of evictions on Venezuelans.

Results of a regional survey, conducted in late 2020 by the Regional Protection Sector with more than 1,200 refugee and migrant households from Venezuela in seven countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, reveal the risks and impacts of evictions on Venezuelans in host countries, their main needs, alternatives and requests to mitigate such situations. In particular, the survey showed that four out of ten of the surveyed households had previously experienced eviction and that 72% of those surveyed were at risk of eviction. Most of them have no formal rental agreements as a result of their irregular migratory status, further impacting the security of their tenure.

Incomes of refugees and migrants from Venezuela, largely deriving from informal employment, have been severely impacted during the pandemic. According to the regional survey, without the possibility of paying rent, 75% of those evicted have been forced to live on the streets. 

The differentiated impacts, effective measures for prevention, and recommendations of the Regional Protection Sector to national authorities, control mechanisms – including the Ombudsman’s and the Prosecutor’s office – organizations, civil society, and associations of Venezuelans are included in the data visualization project, and seek to enhance a more favorable protection environment and will support the effective enjoyment of the right to adequate housing.