Cúcuta, February 21, 2020 – Comprehensive care through different areas such as psychology, social work and the branches of health, we manage to respond immediately to residents who come with all kinds of protection needs; an integral process that dignifies life.
Legal support for access routes to formalization is provided periodically at the Scalabrinian center Centro de Migraciones, these are the topics that are part of the new measures aimed at regularizing Venezuelan migrants who are in Colombia.
For this population that is in Colombia in search of employment and does not have the PEP (Special Permit to Stay) or work visa, now they will only need the Venezuelan identity card or passport to access the new PEPFF (Special Permit to Stay For the Promotion of Formalization), which is valid for the duration of the labor contract (minimum of 2 months and maximum of 2 years), extendable for up to 2 years.
This special and temporary permit can be requested by:
- Anybody who is in irregular immigration status
- Have a clean record
- Have a formal job offer in Colombia
This new document issued by the Colombian government through decree 117 of January 28, 2020, seeks that the migrant from Venezuela who entered or remains in the country irregularly and has a job offer can access this legal process which will give him/her the benefits of any citizen for as long as they are residents.
These actions point to an improvement in the identification mechanisms and tools that allow the incorporation into the productive life of undocumented foreigners in Colombian territory. Specifically, the employer or contractor must request and process the document through the website of the Ministry of Labor (www.mintrabajo.gov.co).
The Colombian government seeks that a foreigner, when formally hired, receives the rights that correspond to a Colombian worker on equal terms, while the employee can access the financial system, health system, and general social security system.
For the Centro de Migraciones, these actions that are carried out by the national government through the Ministry of Labor are very important. Here you have a step by step of how to request this legal process by entering the website of Migración Colombia; www.migracioncolombia.gov.co.