- Implementation Support Agency (ISA): World Bank
- Total project financing: $526.4 million
- Funding from GCFF: $26.4 million
- GCFF Financing Approval Date: 09/30/2021
- Project Closing Date: 11/15/2023
- % Disbursed: 100%
- Status: Under implementation
About the project
The Social and Economic Integration of Migrants DPF project, which received financing from a World Bank loan of $500 million and a $26.4 million GCFF concessional grant, has supported in integration of Venezuelan migrants in Colombia. This project provided critical support to the Colombian government in creating the Single Registry for Venezuelan Migrants (RUMV) to facilitate identification, socioeconomic data collection, and the targeting of education, health, and social protection programs. Single Registry for Venezuelan Migrants (RUMV): More than 2.4 million Venezuelan migrants have registered in the RUMV system. As a result of this project, Venezuelan migrants have been able to access essential services and employment opportunities, contributing to the growth and development of both the migrants and the host communities. Venezuelan migrants are on average younger than the Colombian population, bringing additional productivity due to higher education levels, and they may eventually translate into macroeconomic gains. Colombia has made great progress in the inclusion of migrants in their regularization schemes and registration for social services, exceeding targeted results in the first year. The government has surpassed the goal of regularizing 1.1 million migrants, achieved gender balance, and registered over 924,000 Venezuelan migrants for health social security services. Providing Health Support: The World Bank-supported project has been instrumental in providing essential services to Venezuelan migrants in Colombia, including access to COVID-19 vaccines. Over one million migrants have already received the vaccine, thanks to the project’s support. This achievement not only promotes the health and well-being of the migrants but also helps protect the broader Colombian community from the pandemic. The project’s success in delivering vital services underscores the importance of comprehensive and collaborative approaches by the World Bank and IaDB to address the challenges faced by migrants and refugees worldwide. Colombia’s multi-sectoral approach, combining immediate aid and long-term integration measures, has yielded positive outcomes for migrants. The World Bank and IaDB provided critical, which serves as a model for other multilateral development banks supporting countries hosting migrants.
Project Development Objective (PDO)
To support the social and economic integration of migrants from Venezuela in host areas.
Project Implementation Status
(As of December 31, 2022)
- Pillar 1: Legal and Institutional Basis for the Protection and Long-Term Social and Economic Inclusion of Migrants in Host Areas. The inclusion of migrants in regularization schemes and registration for the provision of social services has shown outstanding results, surpassing targeted results in the first year regarding regularization and access to health social security services and registration into social security. The GoC has already reached and surpassed the goal of regularizing 1.1 million migrants, including the targeted gender balance. The same holds true for registration into del health social security system of over 924,000 Venezuelan migrants. Registry into de SISBEN has reached over 823.000 migrants, over half of all regularized migrants. The legal and institutional goals of the loan, however, have shown partial results so far. The targeted institutionalization of the 6 local migration roundtables has already been completed, and the interoperable data sharing protocol between the RUMV and key social sectors has been completed. The financial program for local governments and the statistical action plan have not yet been accomplished, nor have statistical action plans regarding migration been implemented. There has been little progress regarding the implementation of norms to guide e the Integrated Migratory Policy on the issues of (i) socioeconomic integration of migrants; and the recognition of the statelessness condition for people born abroad or in Colombia.
- Pillar 2: Improved Access to and Quality of Services for Migrants. Covid-19 vaccination of migrants has advanced steadily and already reached the target goal, with almost 1.1 million Venezuelan migrants vaccinated Implementation of the rental subsidy program has been delayed due to the change in national government in August 2022, and the obstacles to make access for migrants a priority for the new Ministry of Housing. Delays due to change in national government: A new national government took office in August 2022. The new administration has shown reduced political will in working towards migrant integration. So far, however, government buy-in has been limited, the presidential migration office (Gerencia de Fronteras) established by the previous administration has been dismantled and its responsibilities assigned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; there has been a waning leadership and actions regarding migrant integration. To mitigate this risk, in Colombia the World Bank has been engaging in policy dialogues with the new government representatives to provide all the necessary tools to understand the migration phenomenon and continue integration policies, showing how Colombia has already harnessed political and social benefits from migration and may continue to harness them in the future, along with economic benefits, if it continues its efforts towards integration.
Relevant Documents: