US grants Venezuelan migrants temporary protected status

Venezuelans living in the US have been pressing the US government to do more to help

The US government is granting Venezuelans who are living in the US temporary protected status (TPS).

The decision will allow hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans the chance to stay and work in the US legally.

It will apply to Venezuelans already residing in the US as of 8 March 2021 and be in effect for 18 months.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said that living conditions in Venezuela revealed "a country in turmoil".

Granting Venezuelans TPS had been one of US President Joe Biden's campaign promises.

Mass migration

An estimated 5.4m Venezuelans have left their homeland in recent years to escape a worsening political and economic crisis.

The health service has collapsed, opponents of the government have been jailed and mistreated, and inflation has soared.

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"It is in times of extraordinary and temporary circumstances like these that the United States steps forward to support eligible Venezuelan nationals already present here, while their home country seeks to right itself out of the current crises," a statement by Mr Mayorkas read.

Under the provisions, Venezuelans in the US have 180 days to register and - if they meet the criteria - they will receive work permits and be allowed to legally remain in the US.

The decision was welcomed by Venezuelans whose future had been uncertain as they waited for a decision by the US government.

Encouraged by Donald Trump's tough stance against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, who he called a dictator, many Venezuelans had pinned their hopes on the then-president granting them TPS.

But on his last day in office, Mr Trump chose to grant them Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) instead. While - like TPS - DED also offers protection from deportation and allows recipients to apply for permission to work, it can be revoked by the president at any time.

Venezuelans in the US were further left in limbo when the Biden Administration took over hours after Mr Trump's announcement and applications for DED were not opened.

Monday's announcement means Venezuelans in the US now have a clear route to a legal immigration status which is guaranteed for 18 months.

The decision comes just weeks after the Colombian government granted almost a million Venezuelans living in Colombia protected status for 10 years.