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
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
  • 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
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:  

  • 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.


Results from previous phases:  

  • 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. 


Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Project partners Contract partner
International or foreign NGO
Private sector
United Nations Organization (UNO)
  • 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)


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)