On December 16th, 2022, Aleksandar (Alex) Stojicevic was featured in the International Bar Association’s (IBA) article ‘Humanitarian crisis continues as Venezuela exits UN Human Rights Council.’ This article gave an overview of the ongoing humanitarian crisis occurring in Venezuela and the support needed by governments.

Canada has continued to be at the forefront of immigration welcoming 431,645 newcomers in 2022. The IRCC has yet to implement any programs to address the Venezuelan displacement crisis that has left millions of Venezuelans displaced across 17 countries in Latin America.

Venezuela Displacement Crisis – More Effort Needed from the Canadian Government

In October 2022, Venezuela failed to receive the minimum votes needed to rejoin the UN Human Right Council, due to continuous human rights abuses and crimes against humanity. Millions of civilians continue to flee Venezuela. This has now been deemed one of the largest displacement crises worldwide.

United States President Biden has announced his contributions to this issue by launching a humanitarian parole program to fast-track the process of helping Venezuelans secure asylum in the United States. Although this program has good intentions and sounds valuable at first glance, after further scrutiny it only has the potential to help a quarter of Venezuelan migrants and those granted refugees will only have 2 years of security in the United States. This does not provide sustainable relief for the ever-growing and dire problem that Venezuelan refugees are facing.

Alex Stojicevic, founder and managing partner of MKS Lawyers, further agrees that the program President Biden has launched is not reliable long term. Alex calls the Canadian government to action by pleading for Canada to develop specific immigration measures to support refugees fleeing Venezuela. The Canadian government has often been praised for its immigration initiatives and has a history of implementing specific immigration measures with Afghanistan and Ukraine. When addressed about the crisis by the IBA, Alex stated ‘Venezuela has not really registered on Canada’s radar,’ he continued to emphasize the importance of action from the Canadian Government by saying, ‘Special programs tend to have a political component to them, but we have a responsibility in every crisis, not just the ones where we have a big diaspora.’

Alex Stojicevic has accumulated 24+ years of experience in Law and is one of the most respected Immigration Lawyers in Western Canada. Alex has been committed to his involvement in the National Immigration Sector and is currently the Refugee Officer of the International Bar Association’s Immigration and National Law Committee. As an expert on foreign work-related matters, Alex has advised a wide range of businesses, non-profits, and several educational institutions.

If you have been affected by the Venezuela displacement crisis or looking to immigrate or gain temporary residency in Canada, MKS is here to support you. You can book a consultation with Alex Stojicevic or any other of our lawyers here at MKS Immigration Lawyers. Click here to book your consultation today!

To read the International Bar Association’s complete article click here: Humanitarian crisis continues as Venezuela exits UN Human Rights Council