Deputy Minister Yanez from the UN: Migrating is not a criminal act

Published at: 08/05/2026 11:13 AM

During his speech at the plenary session of the International Migration Review Forum 2026, of the United Nations (UN), the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Multilateral Issues, Alexander Yánez, assured that migration is not “a criminal act”.

In this regard, he rejected the dehumanization of the migratory act through “the criminalization of migration, mass deportation and cruel and inhuman treatment”, and called for the urgent creation of policies that guarantee human dignity.

“The United Nations system must act with neutrality, impartiality and independence, preventing its work, including in the humanitarian field, from being used for political purposes,” he added.

In addition, on behalf of Venezuela, he rejected “any form of xenophobia, racism or discrimination against migrants”, while noting that “in the case of Venezuela, the politicization of the migration issue in recent years has been particularly harmful.”

In addition, he emphasized that narratives have been promoted that exploit migration for political pressure, while making its true causes invisible.”
The diplomat rejected that “Venezuelans have been victims of campaigns of stigmatization, exploitation and hostile policies in various transit and host countries (...) treating migrants as a threat does not provide solutions; on the contrary, it increases their vulnerability, strengthens criminal networks and ignores human rights.”

Mazo News Team