Colombian Migration to Ecuador

Ecuador and Colombia have been trading partners and neighbors for more than 500 years. Their peoples, cultures, and languages are basically the same but with minor differences depending on the regions from which the people came. Since 2003, a considerable number of Colombians have migrated to Ecuadorian territory looking for better and safer days. This migration is associated with the guerilla and the non-cease fire which a paramilitary group has with the Colombian government. This migration has been the origin of a debate on whether Ecuador ought to implement visas on Colombians or not. Both communities are permanently represented at the Andean Parliament, which enhances the controversy. In the 1970s Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru made the Andean Pact, which abolished the used of visas and certain tariffs within these countries. Now, since migration has become a matter of security, participating governments have begun considering measures to curtail it. Some specialists argue that the Andean Pact must be fully honored, including a provision for assistance to refugees who are fleeing guerrilla warfare in Columbia. Columbian refugees working in Ecuador, reportedly return a majority of their wages back to Columbia, without paying taxes on them. This places stress on the Ecuadorian economy which has been in recession for nearly eight years.