LAC: Regional Protection and Migration Programme
Latin America is facing the world’s second-largest internal displacement crisis with over 10 million internally displaced persons and more than 7 million migrants in search of better prospects. Switzerland’s regional protection and migration programme addresses causes and consequences of migration and forced displacement in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru by facilitating protection from violence, socioeconomic integration and long-term prospects for vulnerable people on the move.
| Country/region | Topic | Period | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
|
America Andean Region Colombia Peru |
Governance Emergency Relief and Protection Migration and Development Gender Equality
Public sector policy
Protection, access & security Forced displacement (refugees, IDP, human trafficking) Women’s equality organisations and institutions Sexual & gender-based violence Emergency rehabilitation Humanitarian efficiency |
01.04.2026
- 30.09.2028 |
CHF 3’200’000
|
- Direct beneficiaries: 18’000 women, girls and 12’000 men and boys on the move
- Indirect beneficiaries: 25’000 persons through other operational protection work by implementing partners, migrants and internally displaced individuals in general through more protective public policies promoted by technical support of Switzerland
- People in human mobility access protection services and legal or regulatory mechanisms while improving access to livelihoods, employability support, and financial services to strengthen self-reliance and reduce protection risks and thereby support their socio-economic integration.
- Individuals in human mobility receive clear and current information and guidance on regularization, documentation, and international protection options.
- Survivors of gender-based violence and children and adolescents exposed to risks of recruitment, use, exploitation or other grave protection violations access timely, coordinated medical, psychosocial, legal and child-protection support through strengthened referral pathways and protection services.
- State institutions and relevant stakeholders are supported to develop, adopt, and implement participatory laws, policies, and operational tools to prevent and respond to GBV and child protection risks.
- Approximately 48’000 vulnerable individuals in human mobility, both international migrants and internally displaced, received protection and / or rehabilitation services facilitated by the Programme, thereby reduced considerably their vulnerability to various forms of violence.
- Protection actors have improved their services through innovations which reduced vulnerable and at-risk persons, including for example through new credit schemes to migrants, thereby facilitating their longterm socioeconomic integration.
- Child protection systems in Peru and Ecuador were strengthened through new national protocols and improved institutional capacities. Phase 1 also confirmed that child protection, GBV, trafficking, and exploitation risks are interconnected and driven by legal and economic vulnerabilities in border areas, underscoring the need for integrated protection efforts in Phase 2.
- Other international or foreign NGO North
- Foreign private sector North
- Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
- United Nations Children’s Fund
- United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
- UN Women Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) Roots of Impact UNICEF UNHCR COALICO (Justapaz) (contributions only)
-
Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Sub-Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation Public sector policy and administrative management
Facilitation of orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility
Material relief assistance and services
Women's equality organisations and institutions
Facilitation of orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility
Material relief assistance and services
Ending violence against women and girls
Facilitation of orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility
Material relief assistance and services
Relief co-ordination; protection and support services
Cross-cutting topics Human rights
The project supports partner organisation improvements as a priority
The project also supports partner organisation improvements
Aid Type Mandate with fiduciary funds
Mandate without fiduciary fund
Project and programme contribution
Project number 7F10866
| Background | Migration in Latin America has been significantly reshaped recently by severely more restrictive migration policies mainly in the United States, Argentine, Chile but also Ecuador and Peru and other countries. Across the Andean corridor, human mobility now combines outward migration, transit, return movements and local integration. These shifts, alongside violence, criminal networks, and declining humanitarian funding, have strained protection systems and reduced monitoring capacities. Recent deportations, shrinking regularization pathways and the humanitarian funding contraction have increased irregular stays and exposure to exploitation, particularly for women, children, LGBTIQ+ persons and Indigenous communities. Structural drivers of displacement in Venezuela remain unresolved, leaving the region’s mobility dynamics fragile and reinforcing the need for coordinated, rights-based responses that link protection, regularization and socio-economic inclusion. |
| Objectives | Vulnerable persons in human mobility in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru facing protection risks are able to enjoy their fundamental rights through solid and accountable migration governance systems and protection mechanisms. |
| Target groups |
|
| Medium-term outcomes |
Outcome 1: Protection risks affecting people in human mobility are reduced through strengthened, coordinated, and localized protection systems led by State and civil society actors at national and cross-border levels. Outcome 2: Persons in human mobility, particularly those in vulnerable situations, have improved and timely access to regularization pathways, international protection procedures, and related protection services, reducing legal precarity and enabling the effective exercise of their rights. Outcome 3: Persons in human mobility have improved access to livelihood opportunities, employability support, and incomegenerating activities, strengthening their socio-economic inclusion and self-reliance, and reducing vulnerability to protection risks and recurrent displacement. |
| Results |
Expected results: Results from previous phases: |
| Directorate/federal office responsible |
SDC |
| Project partners |
Contract partner International or foreign NGO Private sector United Nations Organization (UNO) |
| Coordination with other projects and actors |
Humanitarian and migration actors: Community Based Organizations, local organizations, NGOs, the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) and United Nations Resident Coordinator’s offices (RCO), Regional and national platforms Response for Venezuelans (R4V), IOM, UNHCR State migration and cooperation agencies: Colombia (COL): Presidential Agency for International Cooperation, Migration Authority, Ombudsman’s Office, Municipal Governments Peru (PER): Ombudsman’s Office, Special Protection Unit, National Superintendence of Migration, Municipal Governments Ecuador (ECU): Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vice Ministry of Human Mobility, Municipal Governments. Swiss actors: Swiss Representation in Latin America, Venezuela and their migration/protection projects or programmes, Swiss NGOs in protection/migration. Donors: EU-ECHO, Peace Building Fund, Canada, Sweden, German cooperation (GiZ). |
| Budget | Current phase Swiss budget CHF 3’200’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF 1’480’000 Total project since first phase Swiss budget CHF 4’800’000 Budget inclusive project partner CHF 8’000’000 |
| Project phases | Phase 2 01.04.2026 - 30.09.2028 (Current phase) Phase 1 01.05.2022 - 31.03.2026 (Completed) |