An Ecuadorian court annuls the passport requirement for Venezuelans

[Askor lml]

A judge from Quito has given the Ministry of Foreign Affairs a period of 45 days to present a humanitarian contingency plan in response to migration problems.

 

A court in Quito has annulled this Saturday the Government's regulation to require passports to Venezuelan migrants who enter the country and has given the Ministry of Foreign Affairs a period of 45 days to submit a humanitarian contingency plan to deal with migration problems .

The Third Family Judicial Unit has taken a turn in the hearts of the thousands of migrants who have knocked on the doors of Ecuador for months, and in particular those who had left Venezuela without a passport and were on their way or even in the terminals.

"This is a historic triumph of justice and a historic triumph of human rights," said lawyer Ernesto Pazmiño, applauding the judicial decision on behalf of the Ombudsman's Office.

However, at the moment it is not clear whether the judge has definitively annulled the application of the regulation, which came into force on Saturday, or has conditioned the contingency plan to be submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 45 days.

Pazmiño has ensured that there is no relationship between the two and that what the judge has requested is a "humanitarian plan" that responds to the problems caused by the massive arrival of Venezuelans, but that in no case can the Government reinstate the restriction of passports.

However, the Foreign Minister, José Valencia, who has immediately announced new border control measures, has considered that the prohibition to demand a passport is only 45 days.