[{"bbox": [85, 151, 1145, 232], "category": "Text", "text": "Government efforts in the attention of migrants and refugees from Venezuela focused mainly on basic health, education, early childhood, shelter and protection. However, the stabilisation and integration of this population depends largely on their ability to make a sustainable living."}, {"bbox": [85, 243, 1145, 430], "category": "Text", "text": "President Petro seems to have a broader vision of the migration crisis, as he frames it within the concept of human mobility and within the government priorities for human security and social justice. In the same direction, the Bases of the National Development Plan (2022-2026) establish that the government will promote \"mechanisms to improve the quality of life of this population, based on dignity and respect for their rights, without xenophobia or discrimination, which will allow progress towards a fairer society, with better living conditions and economic security for all\". In practice, Petro has expressed his interest in maintaining the Temporary Protection Statute as an instrument for migrants not only to remain in the country, but also to have effective access to rights."}, {"bbox": [85, 441, 1145, 548], "category": "Text", "text": "The EU launched a process of international support to the Venezuelan migration crisis starting with a Solidarity Conference in Brussels in October 2019, followed by a Pledging Conference in May 2020. Since the beginning of the crisis in 2018, the EU has provided more than EUR 300 million to support regional efforts through humanitarian, peace and development actions. Of this, EUR 56 million have gone to Colombia."}, {"bbox": [85, 560, 1145, 720], "category": "Text", "text": "On the other hand, since 2016, the EU has been supporting the goals of the Industrial Policy through budget support with a significant emphasis on entrepreneurship and business development for vulnerable populations. More than 7,000 MSMEs were successfully assisted until 2019 by the sector budget support programme \"Regional Competitiveness\" (EUR 31.8 million). In 2021, a second phase of support to the sector materialised through the \"Green Economy\" programme (EUR 20 million), which, among others, seeks to promote employment and entrepreneurship for vulnerable populations, including migrants, Colombian returnees and host communities."}, {"bbox": [85, 731, 1145, 918], "category": "Text", "text": "Budget support has proven to be a very effective instrument to help achieve national policy objectives and strengthen coordination between different sectors; this is essential to advance the implementation of the policy of Socio-economic Integration of the Migrant Population, which, due to its multidimensional character, is highly dependent on the resources of various sectors. At the same time, integration takes place at the local level; therefore, policies in this regard should respect the needs of local communities and migrants. The Comprehensive Migration Policy proposes a territorial and local development approach, which means that local authorities, locally rooted enterprises and CSOs are central to the effective socio-economic integration of the migrant population."}, {"bbox": [85, 929, 1145, 1060], "category": "Text", "text": "The EU has an important number of regional projects (LAC) underway supporting the integration of migrants in Colombian cities through blending operations and project type interventions aiming at promoting inclusive urban development with a community-based approach. These projects aim at addressing health, education, housing and income generation issues for the integration of the migrant populations and host communities while mobilising more than 250 million EUR in urban investments."}, {"bbox": [85, 1074, 1145, 1181], "category": "Text", "text": "Among the main European donors to migration are Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Sweden, which, together with Ireland, Italy, Portugal, France, the Czech Republic, Austria and Denmark have a country-specific contribution of approximately EUR 150 million. All are coordinated within the framework of the migration sub-group of Team Europe Initiative Peace Colombia, which is currently led by the EU."}, {"bbox": [85, 1193, 1145, 1404], "category": "Text", "text": "The Inter-Agency Group on Mixed Migration Flows (GIFMM) coordinates the response to the needs of refugees, migrants, Colombian returnees and host populations, in complementarity with the government. It is co-led by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and is composed of 68 members, including UN agencies, international and national NGOs, and members of the Colombian refugee movement as well as national NGOs, and members of the Red Cross Movement. Moreover, USAID/Colombia implements the Venezuelan Response and Integration (VRI) programme with a contribution of USD 160 million to strengthen governance capacity and expand economic opportunities for migrants and host communities."}, {"bbox": [85, 1417, 1145, 1601], "category": "Text", "text": "Based on international experience and the results and lessons learned from past and current EU support following a Team Europe approach on the ground, private sector development and decent employment are among the most effective ways to achieve integration of the migrant population while helping to lift host communities out of poverty. To accelerate this process, a multilevel intervention that, on the one hand, strengthens sectoral policy coordination at national level and, on the other hand, integrates the efforts of local authorities, civil society and the private sector with a community-based and innovative approach is deemed necessary. And the policy priorities of the Colombian Government are oriented in this direction."}, {"bbox": [1038, 1680, 1145, 1705], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 5 of 32"}]