After almost two hundred years in which there was very little migration to Colombia, 2016 saw exponential growth in the arrival of migrants from Venezuela. There was also an increase in migrants in transit from the Caribbean, especially Haiti, who pass through Colombia to other destinations. This change is posing major public policy challenges at both the national and local levels. The State needs to make a significant effort to regularize the legal status of the migrant population and provide them with opportunities for work, education and health services, among other things.

This paper describes the dynamics of migration to Colombia in the last 20 years, focusing on recent waves of migration.

It also describes the socio-economic profiles and main needs of the Venezuelan migrant population intending to remain in the country and examines the public policies and regularization mechanisms adopted by the last two Governments to address these needs. The paper also looks at the emergence of transit migration through Colombia of people travelling to the United States and other destinations. Finally, the paper reviews studies that analyse the circumstances of the migrant population in Colombia and their impact on labour markets, security and other areas. It also discusses the main challenges and opportunities that migration will bring in the coming years and puts forward policy recommendations to continue providing responses to the challenges posed by migration