WFP Ecuador: VIDA MIGRANTE Economic Inclusion of Venezuelan Migrants in Ecuador

Recognizing that as of 2022, many Venezuelan migrants living in Ecuador struggle to provide their basic needs, during the summer of 2022, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) interviewed Venezuelan migrants across the country to understand their experience. The questions of the survey sought to help understand the migrants’ ability to contribute to the digital economic sector in Ecuador. Migrants were asked about their current economic situation as well as their occupation and skill level before they arrived in Ecuador. The results show that migrants overall are interested in learning new skills; however, there are many barriers to their inclusion in the digital economy. Beyond the fact that most migrants don’t have legal status to work in Ecuador, over half the migrants who might have digital skills are unable to access the internet. This is largely due to the fact that paying for internet often is an additional expense after paying for food, housing, transportation, and healthcare. Supporting the migrants with internet access or assistance with their basic needs could help their ability to contribute to the economic diversification and the emerging digital economy in Ecuador.