Colombia Plans To Exclude Venezuelan Migrants From COVID-19 Vaccine Programme

In a shocking move that has stunned public health experts, Colombian President Ivan Duque announced his administration’s decision to exclude hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan refugees within its borders from being given a COVID-19 vaccine. The controversial move has prompted condemnation from humanitarian groups. 

Speaking to a local radio station on Monday, the Colombian leader clarified that only Venezuelans with dual nationality or formal migratory status will have access to the vaccine as and when the drug is made available in the country, as per The Guardian reports. 

As Latin America continues to suffer a large-scale humanitarian crisis, Colombia alone houses over 1.7 million Venezuelans who have fled political repression, economic ruin, and widespread food and medicine shortages. According to migration authorities, while about 45% have formal status, and hundreds more cross the border unofficially every day.

President Ivan Duque justified the controversial move as a necessary step to prioritise Colombians and to prevent a “stampede” on the border; the comments prompted an immediate backlash. The Colombian president’s announcement disregards advice from international organisations that have warned against leaving migrants and refugees behind in inoculation campaigns.

Meanwhile, Colombia signed deals with the pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and AstraZeneca last week to provide 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines. As per reports, the Colombia president has said that the mass vaccine programme would begin “in the first weeks of 2021”.

Colombia faces a resurgence in infection, with positive cases climbing by over 10,000 a day in what is being considered a second wave. In a bid to curb the spread of infection, lockdowns and other restrictions over the holidays have been put in place by local authorities.