ICMCEUROPE WelcometoEurope.pdf (5.89 MB)

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Chapter III – Refugee Situations in Focus
‘Gabriela came from a rural farming region
of Putumayo, Colombia. Her family had fled
on different occasions in her youth but had
lived in relative peace for six years until FARC
insurgents invaded her family’s farm. They
murdered her brother and father. Gabriela
managed to escape and crossed the border
into Ecuador. When she crossed the border
she had no idea what a refugee was - she
simply knew she couldn’t go home. Not far
from a border town, she disclosed her story
to a man who reminded her of her brother.
The man kidnapped her, locked her in a room
and proceeded to prostitute her for some
time. Gabriela recalled many of her ‘clients’
as wearing police uniforms. She managed to
escape thanks to a neighbour and approached
UNHCR in Quito. Eight months later, she
was granted refugee status. She struggled
with complex trauma, alcohol abuse and
depression, and shook whenever she encountered
the police. Even as a recognised refugee,
she was unable to find a way to support herself.
When she applied for jobs cleaning houses,
she was called a whore and told Colombian
women belonged in brothels.’
Gabriela, Colombian refugee in Ecuador, in Jesuit
Refugee Service, Latin America: Colombian refugees
face stark choices, April 2011
In 2012, 559 Colombian refugees 46
were resettled. In total, UNHCR plans
to submit 2,054 Colombian refugees
for resettlement in 2014, of whom
2,000 are in Ecuador. 47 A lack of UNHCR
46 Source: UNHCR & 2013 ATCR
47 UNHCR Projected Global Resettlement Needs 2014
capacity 48 and a significant population
of unregistered individuals make the
ongoing assessment of resettlement
needs challenging.
In 2011, Colombian refugees were
identified as one of the populations
prioritised for resettlement. A Contact
Group, chaired by the Governments of
New Zealand and Uruguay was formed
in February 2012 with the aim of maximising
the strategic use of resettlement
of Colombians in Ecuador. 49 Although
several EU Member States resettle
Colombian refugees, the EU has not
included this population as a priority
for 2013. The EU does, however, offer
substantial humanitarian aid and assistance
via ECHO. 50
Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Uruguay
and the US have resettled Colombian
refugees. In Europe, Denmark, Norway
and Sweden have resettled refugees
from Ecuador.
48 For 2013, Ecuador ranks third in the world on
UNHCR’s ranking of needs versus capacity in
resettlement.
49 UNHCR Projected Global Resettlement Needs 2014
50 European Commission, Commission Staff Working
Document, General Guidelines on Operational
Priorities for Humanitarian Aid in 2013, November
2012. In 2013, 15% of the planned geographical
humanitarian and food aid budget allocation has
been earmarked for the forgotten crises identified
by ECHO.