Exclusive Investigation: Venezuelans are abandoning their U.S. migration plans and returning home

Diferentes reportes de autoridades migratorias de Panamá, Perú y Ecuador han anunciado en los últimos días que habrá un hacinamiento en las terminales aéreas y terrestres de Colombia debido al retorno de migrantes venezolanos que buscan regresar a su país tras la decisión de Estados Unidos de aplicar la nueva política migratoria que expulsa a quienes ingresan ilegalmente por México.

An ADN America investigation conducted in various Central South American countries has determined that Colombian airports and bus stations have become flooded from a wave of Venezuelan migrants returning to their homeland after being expelled from the new U.S.

The wave of repatriated Venezuelans, which has been confirmed by multiple immigration authorities and by on-site interviews conducted in Colombia by ADN correspondents, are mostly returning in the wake of the U.S. implementing new immigration policies that impact those crossing the southwest border from Mexico.

The Biden administration announced on Oct. 12 that the new policy would impact Venezuelan migrants after an all-time high of more than 2.4 million crossed the border during fiscal year 2022 (FY2022).

Colombian correspondents for ADN America arrived at the bus terminal in northern Medellín, where migrants previously tried to obtain tickets to Necoclí (northern Antioquia), a frequent stop on the way to the United States.

From there, U.S.-bound migrants would board a boat that took them to Panama at the entrance of the dangerous Darién Gap, 575,000 hectares of jungle swamps, mighty rivers, and wild animals—a treacherous area that at least 200,000 people have crossed so far this year.

Until the beginning of October, an estimated 1,500 immigrants arrived daily at this point, but since President Joe Biden's announcement, there has been a reported 90% drop, according to a Colombian official at the bus terminal.

Ariadni Bedoya, a Venezuelan migrant returning to her country, told ADN America that due to the lack of work opportunities along the way, and Biden's decision, she was unable to reach the United States with her sister, who ended up in a shelter in Mexico.

"My sister left and stayed in Mexico, and she cannot cross into the United States,” she said. “I stay here alone and what I earn is not enough," said the woman who also assured that she was going to wait for Biden to change the decision to Cross.

A similar case is that of Marilyn Sánchez, a Venezuelan who returned to her country with her mother and children because of how expensive life is becoming in Medellín, where she has lived for 4 years.

I am returning to Venezuela because life is very expensive here and I think Venezuela is getting better,” Sánchez explained.

ADN America asked Sanchez if she thought about coming to the United States. 

"I have family in Florida, but the thing is that I could not go through that jungle" she explained, referencing the dangerous Darien Gap that bridges Colombia and Panama.

“There are many requirements for asylum that it is not very likely that they will accept you, it is very difficult,” she added.

Another Venezuelan migrant at the bus terminal, Luis Solorza, said he was trying to get to Cúcuta at the Venezuelan border because he was returning from Necoclí after learning that authorities there were not letting anyone through. 

He is now looking for a way to return to his country.

"They did not let anyone pass in Necoclí,” he said. “We have spent five days without eating anything and we are waiting to return to Venezuela," where he explained that “if you don't have dollars, you don't eat there.”

The Venezuelan population grew 118.8%, from 1.1 to 2.5 million in four years with 36.7% of the 6.8 million Venezuelan migrants in the world, according to February 2022 Colombian migration figures.

Until the end of February, 333,806 Venezuelans emigrated through regular channels while 295,038 did not.

Data shows that 2,378,944 irregular migrants were apprehended in the U.S. during fiscal year 2022. There were also at least 853 cases of deaths of migrants who tried to cross the border illegally.