Exploring the impact of Ecuador’s policies on the right to health of Venezuelan migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review

Abstract

Venezuela’s ongoing economic and political crisis has forced more than 6 million people to emigrate from the country since 2014. In the Andean region, Ecuador is one of the main host countries for Venezuelan migrants and refugees. During the COVID-19 pandemic, specific measures were implemented in the country to control the spread of the disease and its associated impacts. In this context, we conducted a scoping review to understand how policies implemented by the Ecuadorian government during the pandemic impacted Venezuelan migrants’ right to health. The literature search focused on scientific and grey publications between 2018 and 2022 in electronic databases and institutional websites, complemented by snowball sampling and expert advice. Our thematic analysis revealed discrepancies between the rights granted to migrants in Ecuador’s legal framework and their practical implementation during the pandemic, with several instances of policy and programmatic infringement. Disruption of services further complicated migrant’s options for regularization. Some measures, like border closures, negatively impacted migrants’ health, including increased exposure to abuse and violence. While migrants were included in the country’s COVID-19 vaccination plan, they were excluded from other national aid programmes. There are indications of an increase in xenophobia and discrimination stigmatizing migrants as “disease carriers” and “resource takers”, resulting in a prioritization of services for the Ecuadorian population. We found limited research on the emergent topic of migrants’ vulnerability and related health system challenges. Future research should include working in border zones, consider socioeconomic factors, and further explore the poor implementation of Ecuador’s legal framework towards upholding of migrants’ right to health.

Políticas públicas dirigidas al acceso de vacunación de COVID-19 para migrantes en situación irregular: Análisis desde un marco de interseccionalidad

“…En Ecuador, el gobierno trabajó de la mano con la Agencia de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para los Refugiados (ACNUR) para registrar a los migrantes en situación irregular e incluirlos en la tercera y cuarta fase de vacunación (Jumbo, 2021). Además, ofreció servicios de vacunación a lo largo de las fronteras, donde presentar documentos no era un requisito para acceder al servicio (Serrano Córdova et al, 2023). Posteriormente, el gobierno reestructuró su plan de vacunación para garantizar que los migrantes que viven con condiciones de salud crónicas o en vulnerabilidad, independientemente de su estatus migratorio, pudieran acceder al cronograma general, adelantando su acceso a la vacuna (Ministerio de Salud Pública República del Ecuador, 2021a).…”