Reducing discriminatory practices in ongoing efforts to promote social cohesion and migrant and refugee rights Cultural Pluralism Generalized Discrimination Ecuador is a culturally pluralistic and ethnically diverse country with Much of the discrimination faced by Venezuelans in Ecuador mi- a strong sense of national identity and regional solidarity. Over re- rrors the experience of vulnerable citizens in the host communi- cent decades, the government has introduced a variety of measures ty. For instance, the vast majority of working women in Ecuador to encourage greater social cohesion and inter-cultural understan- struggle for equal pay, regardless of their nationality. Likewise, ding. Despite the country’s multicultural roots, however, discrimina- the children of low-income migrants and Ecuadorians are simi- tion remains a widespread challenge. The problem permeates the larly vulnerable to under-age working and school absenteeism. workplace as well as domestic and civic settings. Common grounds On occasion, public officials are not fully aware of the rights and for discrimination include race, ethnicity, gender, age, and sexuality. legal protections available to Venezuelan migrants and thus deny them services to which they are entitled. In such cases, the act of Xenophobia: misplaced discrimination might best be described an unintentional. sentiment This new phenomenon is primarily directed towards the migrant Steps Forward and refugee Venezuelan community. Anti-foreigner sentiments Ecuador’s main challenge with respect to discrimination is to are not characteristic of Ecuador, which has historically been very enforce the strong provisions that already exist in its legal code. open to migrants and refugees. Indeed, the Human Mobility Act of Success here will benefit all vulnerable members of Ecuadorian 2017 grants some of the strongest legal protections in the whole society, be they nationals or migrants. Priority recommendations region to migrants and asylum seekers. The problem lies in the include: sheer volume of Venezuelan migrants. Some 400,000 individuals have settled in the country since 2015. This is pushing the natural • Encouraging businesses to implement policies and pro- hospitality of Ecuadorians to the limit, most notably in regions grams that promote positive behavior towards all women with dense Venezuelan populations, such as Guayas, Manabí, and • Raising awareness in society to ensure that the rights of Pichincha. children and adolescents are respected • Strengthening trust between citizens and state institutions Employment & Social Additional measures are required to address particular forms of Services discrimination experienced only by migrants. These need to com- bine responses to specific bureaucratic hurdles as well as wider Discrimination towards Venezuelan migrants is heavily influen- cultural divisions. ced by competition for jobs and resources. Recent migrants are perceived as taking employment from Ecuadorians, especially the • Continuing free and non-discriminatory access to health young and low-skilled. Aggregate figures show this not to be the services case, although it may prove true to a limited extent in areas densely • Monitoring the infrastructure capacity of social services populated by migrants. The fact that many Venezuelan migrants are compelled to work in the informal sector increases their vulnerabi- • Continued awareness-raising efforts focused on public lity to discriminatory practices, such as low pay and unfair working education campaigns to prevent xenophobia hours. Similarly, migrants from Venezuela are blamed for bringing • Promoting cultural integration between migrant and refu- additional pressure to bear on Ecuador’s public services and the gees and host communities social assistance system. While it is true that these are under strain, this is primarily due to the country’s ongoing economic downturn, not extra demand from migrants. www.bancomundial.org.ec /BancoMundial @BancoMundialLAC #MigraciónVenezolana Challenges and opportunities of Venezuelan migration in Ecuador Ecuador has provided a “humanitarian corridor” Unfortunate timing for1.15 million Venezuelans The exodus of Venezuelans from their homeland initially coincided with an economic downturn 400 000 since 2015, caused by the 2014 drop in global oil prices and now unfolds in the recessionary pressures of Covid-19, resulting in high unemployment and of whom have chosen to settle. pressure on public services. Despite widespread beliefs to the contrary, the economic - 1% impact of Venezuelan migration equates to less than Ecuador’s Discriminatory practices GDP A variety of different groups in Ecuador report experiencing discrimination, although rates are generally higher for Venezuelan migrants and refugees. 4 out of 10 Venezuelan 40,6% report suffering a discriminatory incident in the last three months. compared to for Ecuadorians 6,5% 90% of cases, migrants and refugees cite their nationality as the reason. Social Cohesion Despite similarities in language and culture, work is required to build mutual understanding Discriminatory practices with regards to housing between migrant/refugee and host communities. are high for Venezuelans, especially when 28% compared to Ecuadorians. Venezuelans Ecuadorians 2,6% 66% 2/3 of Ecuadorians think their values differ from those of Venezuelans, 2/5 65% Venezuelans in mobility feel more discriminated on the street 39% of Venezuelans agree. Ecuadorians report higher levels of discrimination in their More than half of Ecuadorians believe neighborhoods. 56% Venezuelans in mobility are responsible for a 26% rise in crime (despite no such rise occurring). in the case of women 1 10 in female Venezuelan adolescents feel discriminated against because of their nationality, leading many to drop out of school.