INEI participated in the global event Global Refugee Forum

Peru had never been a priority destination of foreigners, but in the last years had received 1 million 400 thousand of them, which represents the 4% of the total population, remarket the Chief of the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI), Mr. Dante Carhuavilca Bonett, whom also added that “for the last 150 years in the history of our country, we had never had so many migrants”.

This announcement occurred within the framework of the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) that takes place in Geneva, Switzerland, where the Chief of the statistical entity participated in the global event “Data and forced displacement: To promote inclusion through national statistics”.

The Chief of the statistical entity pointed out that in this context, with the help of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and international organisms, there was been held 2 surveys to characterize the Venezuelan migrants. He added: “We made a survey in the year 2018 and 2022. We researched household, health, education, medical services, employments, incomes and discrimination. And during those 4 years we observed important changes”.

The Chief of the statistical entity revealed that a main change was that “the first migrants came alone and after 4 years they came with children, also they came with older persons and the household was consolidated”. He also highlighted that we should promote an orderly, fair and human migration, Mr. Carhuavilca Bonett said that in the process “both parts win. The country wins by receiving talent, people with technical studies, professional people and also win the one that is coming because they fulfill their dreams, their opportunities and their desires to succeed”.

An additional element outstood by the Chief of the INEI was that the surveys revealed that during the last 4 years, the unemployment level of Venezuelan in Peru is just of 2%, while the unemployment rate of Peruvians is 4%. Explaining this difference, Mr. Carhuavilca Bonett pointed out that the “migrants have no other choice but to work to live, but the citizens of the country, have their families and friends that can help them”.

Likewise, he revealed that 8 out of 10 Venezuelan that work in Peru, they do it services activities.

The Chief of the statistical entity also announced that the two surveys of 2018 and 2022 will be complemented with a 2024 survey with a larger survey. “We can be able to calculate the poverty of Venezuelans in Peru. We are going to do a survey with the UNHCR help, the World Bank and surely also with the IDB help”.

The goal of this new survey will be “to know how many Venezuelan are poor, how many are not poor and within the poor ones, how many are extremely poor and inside of those no poor, which are more vulnerable or those which before any immediate event in their household or within their environment or the loss of job or disease or any event that affect they household, could fall into poverty”.

At the end of his speech, Mr. Carhuavilca Bonnet said that the national offices of statistics are obliged to generate data, not only to prepare public policies, but also to monitor and change them according to the case. “With this new survey I think we are fulfilling the role society give us” he stated.

It is also worth to mention that Geneva hold since Wednesday the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) which is celebrated every four years and represents the greater international conference within this area.