This EUAA COI Country Focus report on Venezuela is intended to provide an overview of the key relevant issues for the assessment of applications for international protection from Venezuelan nationals. This report is an update of the EUAA COI Report on Venezuela: Country Focus (2023), and EUAA COI Report on Venezuela: Country Focus (2020), which may be read in conjunction with this report for greater context.
The report provides an overview of the country’s demographic, economic, political, and judicial context, as well as information on state security forces, surveillance practices, relevant legislation, and developments following the US intervention in January 2026. It examines recent security developments, including the activities of key armed actors and challenges along Venezuela’s borders, particularly with Colombia. The report also updates information on the most common profiles and addresses the treatment of returnees and issues related to internal mobility.
The reference period for the report is 1 October 2023–30 April 2026.
The drafting of this report was finalised on 9 June 2026. Any event taking place after this date is not included in this report.
The EUAA acknowledges as the drafter of this report:
- James Restrepo, an independent expert on Country of Origin Information (COI)
The following national COI departments reviewed this report:
- Belgium, Centre for Documentation and Research (Cedoca), Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons ;
- The Netherlands, Office for Country Information and Language Analysis, Ministry of Justice (OCILA) ;
- Sweden, Swedish Migration Agency, Unit for Migration Analysis.
This report was written according to the EUAA COI Report Methodology (2023) and the EUAA COI Writing and Referencing Guide (2023).
Policy
The policy implemented by the Commissioner General is based on a thorough analysis of accurate and up-to-date information on the general situation in the country of origin. This information is collated in a professional manner from various, objective sources, including the EUAA, the UNHCR, relevant international human rights organisations, non-governmental organisations, professional literature and coverage in the media. When determining policy, the Commissioner General does not only examine the COI Focuses written by Cedoca and published on this website, as these deal with just one aspect of the general situation in the country of origin. The fact that a COI Focus could be out-of-date does not mean that the policy that is being implemented by the Commissioner General is no longer up-to-date.
When assessing an application for asylum, the Commissioner General not only considers the actual situation in the country of origin at the moment of decision-making, he also takes into account the individual situation and personal circumstances of the applicant for international protection. Every asylum application is examined individually. An applicant must comprehensively demonstrate that he has a well-founded fear of persecution or that there is a clear personal risk of serious harm. He cannot, therefore, simply refer back to the general conditions in his country, but must also present concrete, credible and personal facts.
There is no policy paper for this country available on the website.