My fascination with immigration and the refugee experience began in February 2014 when I went on an Alternative Break to the border of Mexico and the US. There, we met with people who had devoted their careers to advocating for the rights of the thousands of people that cross the border illegally to flee from violence and economic oppression or rejoin family in the US. My immigration reform advocacy and subsequent trip back to the border last December developed my passion for human rights advocacy, especially in the case of migrants and refugees, and led me to search for opportunities to do similar work here in Ecuador.

Ecuador, a country of 14.5 million people, hosts the largest refugee population in Latin America. The vast majority of refugees come from Colombia, escaping the atrocities inflicted by paramilitary and criminal organizations. While the exact number is unknown, it is estimated that as many as 400,000 Colombian refugees reside in Ecuador.[1]

Politically speaking, Ecuador has been known to be friendly to migrants and refugees—they’ve incorporated the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its related New York Protocol into national law and established a specialized commission to oversee refugee cases.[2] Despite this, Colombians seeking refuge in Ecuador still face challenges common to refugees around the world. They face discrimination, stereotyping, and a complex legal system that imposes barriers to employment, education, and housing.[3] Those challenges have led to extremely high poverty and food insecurity rates among the refugee population.[4]

Around the world, people are often hesitant to share their homeland’s resources with outsiders. Perhaps the most common misconception is that what comes from violence is inherently violent. On the contrary, the reduction in homicide rates in Ecuador between 1999 and 2012 is partially attributed to a massive influx of Colombian asylum seekers.[5] Moreover, citizens of host countries often think of refugees and asylum seekers as an economic drain, when, in reality, refugee populations have proved time and time again to be great economic assets. Studies in Thailand, Guinea, Nepal, and Australia have found that giving refugees the right to work contributed enormously to economic growth. Since asylum seekers often find it difficult to find employment due to discrimination and stereotyping, they often start their own businesses, providing new skills, services, and goods to the host country’s population. They also bring new cross-border relationships, which lead to improvements trade and diplomacy.[6]

Instead of shoving it under the issue under the rug, Ecuador has a great opportunity, politically and economically, to be a leader in the fair and equal treatment of asylum seekers in their country.

[1] Shedlin, Michele G. et al. “Sending-Country Violence & Receiving-Country Discrimination: Effects on the Health of Colombian Refugees in Ecuador.” Journal of Immigrant Minor Health. 2014 Feb. 16(1): 119-124. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4226797/

[2] Refugee Status Determination in Latin America. Page 12. Asylum Access. http://asylumaccess.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/refugeestatus.pdf

[3] Refugees’ experience with the right to work in Ecuador. Asylum Access http://asylumaccess.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/asylum-access-right-to-work-in-ecuador.pdf

[4] Shedlin, Michele G. et al.

[5] Fernandez, Jose and Pazzona, Matteo. “Migration and Crime in Ecuador.” Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association. http://lacer.lacea.org/bitstream/handle/123456789/52341/lacea2014_migratio_crime_ecuador.pdf?sequence=1

[6] Arnold-Fernandez Emily E. and Pollock, Stewart. “Refugees’ rights to work.” Forced Migration Review 44. 2013 September.