Child Exploitation and Trauma Amid the Venezuelan Exodus to Colombia

Ana was only 13 when her life was uprooted, leaving behind everything familiar in Venezuela to join her mother and younger sister in Colombia. For her mother, the move was a desperate attempt to escape the economic collapse back home, hoping for a new beginning. But for Ana, it meant entering a world where even her accent set her apart, and adapting felt like trying to find her footing on shifting ground. The city streets, the stares, and the isolation left her feeling like a stranger in a foreign land.

Yet, just as she began to settle into her new life in Bucaramanga, making friends and finding comfort, the struggle for stability struck again. Her mother’s hope for work in Bogotá led them to a cold, intimidating neighbourhood, where survival felt uncertain every day. And soon after, unresolved conflict forced Ana to return alone to Venezuela, a painful reminder of the fragile lives of so many displaced children. Ana’s story is just one of thousands, a powerful example of the vulnerable lives caught between borders. As children are displaced from Venezuela to Colombia, many, like Ana, face risks far beyond relocation—exploitation, discrimination, and isolation.

“The largest external displacement crisis in Latin America’s recent history”[1]. This is how the UN described the situation we have been seeing in Venezuela over the last several years. Venezuelans have been escaping the economic hardship and political repression, with Colombia being the primary destination [2] for these migrants.

As of January 2024, Colombia is hosting 2.9 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants [3]. The crisis and influx of migrants from Venezuela to Colombia increases the risk of economic exploitation of children and child labour – an already prevalent issue for many communities in Colombia.

The Venezuelan Crisis: A Humanitarian Challenge for Colombia

The migration crisis began in 2014, after a decline in oil prices proved that the regime’s policies and political model were unfit for the economic reality of the country. The country has seen hyperinflation and a rise in starvation, disease, crime and mortality rates [4]. The economic hardship and its humanitarian consequences have been the reason for a large amount of emigration [5]. Common destinations for these Venezuelan migrants include Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, the US and Spain. However, the biggest recipient is Colombia [6].

In 2021, the Organisation for World Peace described Colombia’s response to the Venezuelan refugee crisis as “exemplary” [7]. In February of 2021, former Colombian president Ivan Duque granted a Temporary Protection Status to Venezuelan migrants [7], giving them legal status.

However, despite help from institutions like the World Bank, the huge numbers of migrants have placed an enormous amount of pressure on Colombia’s institutions and systems [7]. The biggest humanitarian concern is the number of migrants vulnerable to economic exploitation, especially in border regions where criminal gangs often operate.

Economic Exploitation and the Rise of Child Labour

More than 10% of children in Colombia have been victims of Child Labour [8]. The economic exploitation of children is among some of the worst forms of exploitation, namely by armed paramilitary groups, criminal enterprises and sexual profiteering [8].

Because of the extreme poverty that Venezuelan children migrating to Colombia are facing, they are especially vulnerable [9]. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Colombia pointed out that despite 1.63 million Venezuelans receiving Temporary Protection Status (out of 2.4 million Venezuelans that applied) by October 2022, they still face challenges in finding formal employment and accessing financial and health services [10].

Many child migrants travel alone or are separated from their families, so are targeted more by traffickers and criminal groups [11]. This alarming situation brings to light how economic desperation and lack of legal protection not only affects children of Colombia, but also Venezuelan children and mothers who have migrated to Colombia.

Tragically, many Venezuelan migrants in Colombia are forced into the sex trade to survive, placing vulnerable women and children in significant danger. Women like Rocío [12] remind us of this harsh reality, earning just $12 per encounter in the tourist city of Santa Marta. Rocío travelled to Colombia hoping to find work as a hairdresser, in order to send money back to her children in Venezuela. But these plans were changed after being offered to work as a waitress in a bar, soon learning that the job would require her to wear very little clothing and would involve sex work. Stories like Rocío’s highlight the prevalence of the dangerous and exploitative circumstances that many Venezuelan migrants find themselves in.

How is Children Change Colombia helping?

The Colombian government has met international standards with its response to the mass Venezuelan migration [13]. However, it is clear that there are other factors at play.

Children Change Colombia has been working with with ACJ (known as the YMCA in English) for 10 years, to strengthen the capacities of children and young people (CYP) at risk of sexual and gender-based violence, create care pathways for survivors and victims, and contribute to the creation of protective environments in Santa Fe neighborhood, Bogota´s Red Light District. This project in particular receives a large number of Venezuelan women and children. In 2023 alone, this project benefited a total number of 336 people.

Ana, the thirteen year old girl who had to move back to Venezuela, returned to Bogota and joined our project. She has been receiving psychosocial support and developing her artistic skills, as well as integrating into the community and making friends with other children in the project. She now feels welcome and has hope thanks to our project.

Another life story that shows the difficulties of the Venezuelans In Colombia is María, a strong and courageous woman who was 26 years old at the time of receiving support from this programme. She left Venezuela with her mother and three children, settling in the Santa Fe neighbourhood of Bogotá. Although initially seeking formal employment, her undocumented status limited her options, leading her to eventually turn to sex work in order to support her family. After joining the project she received training in psychosocial and educational processes that enabled her to understand her rights and the mechanisms to demand them. Currently, she is a leader within her community, and she even managed to develop a small business with the mentorship, training and financial resources of the project. Additionally, her children have been participating in artistic and sports workshops to help them develop their passions and skills, as well as being provided meals and psychosocial support.

Albeit having worsened in recent years due to the crisis, the displacement of Venezuelans is not something new. The projects set up and supported by Children Change Colombia have been welcoming and working with Venezuelan children and families for over a decade. María’s story is unfortunately one of many. It highlights the tragic situation that many Venezuelans are finding themselves in, but also reminds us of the positive and life-changing impact that is possible.

The Venezuelan migration crisis presents a significant humanitarian challenge to Colombia, particularly with economic exploitation and child labour. To help Colombia better safeguard the future of its children, we need your support. By donating and getting involved with CCC, you can help to make a real difference to the lives of vulnerable children and their families in Colombia.