Bogotá (EFE).- Various NGOs, together with the Inside Out project (which promotes social causes through art), presented an exhibition in Bogotá of 400 photographs of the faces of migrants, refugees and returnees in Colombia to ask the Government of President Gustavo Petro to “resume the refugee migration agenda” in the country.
In the artistic intervention, carried out in the Plaza de Bolívar in the Colombian capital, non-governmental organizations such as El Derecho A No Obedecer, the Barómetro de Xenofobia, the Corporación Otra Parte and Refugiados Unidos sought to “make visible” the situation of migrants, refugees and returnees who live in the cities of Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Cartagena de Indias and Cúcuta.
“There are 21 petitions that we have built with more than 63 civil society organizations where we ask the government to please resume the refugee migration agenda,” said the director of El Derecho A No Obedecer, Fernanda Bedoya, who explained that since the possession of Petro, “the agenda has been de-prioritized and the positive narratives about migration have disappeared.”
Refugee migration agenda in Colombia
Likewise, the directive highlighted the importance of this symbolic action, carried out within the framework of the celebration of World Refugee Day. To recognize and make visible the people affected by the lack of a solid migration agenda in Colombia.
Among the requests is the prioritization of the refugee migration agenda, the inclusion of gender approaches and policies. Updating the figures in entities such as the Foreign Ministry and Colombian Migration. As well as the protection of the rights of people who entered the country after January 21, 2021 and lack protection mechanisms.
In addition, they called for the establishment of regulations that protect stateless children. Those who are currently unprotected due to the lack of legislation in this regard.
Migration in figures
Making people’s reality visible through art is the mission of the Inside Out platform. That he has made 524,664 portraits in 52 countries as part of his impact strategy.
With this symbolic act, the aim was to “generate a sense of awareness and realize the journey that people who migrate, are refugees or returnees have to live,” said the photographer of the exhibition, Luis Gómez, who assured that they hope to “give recognition to people and that they feel heard”.
According to data from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Colombia is the country with the largest number of refugees and migrants from Venezuela, with 2.4 million people. In addition, around 845,000 Colombians have returned from Venezuela to Colombia.
Likewise, in the Andean country there are more than 8.3 million internally displaced people. Of which approximately 861,000 have been displaced since the Peace Agreement in 2016.
Colombia has become one of the main recipients of migrants, refugees and returnees worldwide, the presence of people of Venezuelan origin being especially significant in different cities of the country, in the words of Bedoya, who pointed out that with this action they seek to remember the National Government the importance of comprehensively addressing the situation of these vulnerable groups.