The affected people, predominantly from the global South, in their attempt to reach the United States or Europe, may inadvertently contribute to additional environmental concerns along their route, particularly in vital areas to the ongoing efforts to fight against climate change.

As of August 2023, 7.71 million Venezuelans had massively emigrated, a phenomenon that began to be registered notably in 2015. The vast majority of them are based in countries in the region.

In Colombia, both the massive Venezuelan migration and the lesser known "extracontinental" migration converge, either in transit or as a destination. But the position of the Colombian authorities with regard to both, as well as the measures adopted, are diametrically different.