Citizen Security and Social Integration Index in Colombia: From Measurement to Collaboration

The unprecedented migration from Venezuela compounded by the country's political turmoil and socio-economic instability has been internationally recognized as one of the world's most recent and largest humanitarian crisis. Since 2015, more than 6 million migrants have left Venezuela and sought refuge in neighboring countries such as Colombia, in search of socioeconomic opportunities and protection of their fundamental rights. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) the majority of Venezuelan migrants seeking refuge in neighboring countries are families with children, pregnant women, elderly persons and persons with disabilities. Because they lack identification, they are forced to enter Colombia through irregular routes to reach a safe destination, while risking falling victims to smugglers, criminal organizations and trafficking in persons (TIP)networks. Under these circumstances, Conectando Caminos por los Derechos (CCD) Activity, financed under USAID's Human Rights Support Mechanism (HRSM) and implemented by Pact, the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI), Freedom House, and Internews, developed a programmatic tool aimed to measure citizen security based on a comprehensive human rights approach, which we call the Citizen Security and Social Integration Index (CSSII). Using a CLA approach, this tool adapts to the challenges in Colombia's migration context and policy, to become an asset for advocacy and support to the Colombian's government by collaborating and learning with the Activity's extensive partner network (social, private and institutional actors).