Global perspective Human stories
A Venezuelan woman stands in profile on a rocky Caribbean shore, looking out at the turquoise ocean.

From the Field: The secret life of Venezuelan migrants in Curaçao

© IOM/Gema Cortés Genesis arrived in Curaçao island as an irregular migrant.

From the Field: The secret life of Venezuelan migrants in Curaçao

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A Venezuelan woman has been talking about how she made a perilous journey across the Caribbean Sea to the tourist island of Curaçao and how she is now forced to live a secretive existence due to her illegal status.

Genesis, not her real name, is one of more than seven million people who have left Venezuela in recent years as a result of the political turmoil, socio-economic instability and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the South American country.

Aerial view of the coastline of Curaçao, showing turquoise waters, a sandy beach, and an urban landscape with buildings and hills.
© IOM/Gema Cortés Curaçao is a popular Caribbean tourist destination.

At least 321 migrants disappeared or died in the Caribbean last year, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration’s (IOM)  Missing Migrants Project, the highest number in almost 20 years.

Genesis, her husband and new-born have been supported by IOM as they build a new life in Curaçao.

Read more of her story here.