By flying thousands of Venezuelans out of remote Roraima to cities with better job prospects, the ‘interiorization’ strategy, which operates with the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other UN agencies, helps refugees and migrants from Venezuela get a fresh start in Brazil. 

This voluntary relocation programme, part of Operation Welcome, the humanitarian response of the Brazilian government, offers a lifeline and fosters integration by helping people find new job opportunities or reunite with family or friends in other parts of the country. More than 100,000 people have been relocated to over 930 cities in the last five years throughout the continent-sized country.

Pedro, 26, and Loriuska, 19, are a young Venezuelan couple starting a new life together in southern Brazil, with job opportunities on the horizon. 

“This is like a rebirth for us, as we will no longer be on the streets, we will have a place to sleep, a bathroom, and earn money to send back to our families in Venezuela,” Pedro said.