A/HRC/59/49/Add.1 the regularization of Venezuelans in an irregular situation in the country, provided that their entry and stay can be demonstrated as having occurred prior to the date of issue of the resolution. The visa is exclusively for Venezuelan nationals residing in the country who have not previously accessed other regularization mechanisms, such as the Temporary Protection Statute for Venezuelan Migrants or another type of visa. The V-visa allows its beneficiaries to access the State’s institutional services and the labour market, while still being compatible with asylum request procedures. B. Access to asylum 39. As a result of the situation in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, as of early 2025, Colombia has registered a total of 75,000 asylum applicants, with at least 29,305 pending applications according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). 4 Based on the information received, the average processing time for asylum claims is approximately 3 to 4 years. While their claims are pending, asylum-seekers are not able to access work or engage in formal and lawful economic activities. Many Venezuelan asylum-seekers choose to apply for the temporary protection permit, prioritizing immediate access to services and economic opportunities. Some, after a lengthy wait, have to give up their asylum application in order to be considered for a temporary protection permit. 40. On 5 December 2023, the Constitutional Court of Colombia enacted Decision SU-543, repealing certain provision of Decree 216 of 2021, which restricted asylum-seekers from requesting temporary protection permits without waiving their application for asylum. In addition, the Constitutional Court ordered the Government to design and implement, within six months, a public policy to solve the congestion in the processing of refugee applications, eliminating administrative and regulatory barriers. Regulatory adjustments were also ordered to establish a maximum period to resolve refugee applications and to define criteria for the prioritization of migrants at high risk, in circumstances of extreme economic and social vulnerability or belonging to groups of special constitutional protection. 41. In response, the Government took steps to improve access to protection and to expedite asylum claims. On 25 January 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs enacted Decree 0089 to promote a more agile and efficient procedure for the determination of refugee status, to overcoming regulatory obstacles that have slowed down the processing of refugee applications and to guarantee fairer processes. The decree also allows asylum-seekers to exercise their right to work and to access rights and services from the time of the admission of their application. C. Healthcare 42. Under Law 1751 of 2015, all migrants, regardless of their status, have the right to receive basic and emergency healthcare. Following the arrival of significant numbers of migrants and refugees in the country, in March 2022, the Constitutional Court, through ruling T-120, established entitlements giving them access to basic and emergency healthcare, preventive health services, care for catastrophic illnesses and mental health services. Individuals who have regularized their status under the Temporary Protection Statute for Venezuelan Migrants enjoy the same rights to healthcare as Colombian citizens. Guidelines for enrolling migrants, especially those in situation of vulnerability, in the subsidized healthcare system, were established through the adoption of Decree 616 of 2022. Additionally, a 10-year Public Health Plan (2022–2031), which incorporates a differential approach to address the specific health needs of migrants, including mental health, preventive care, and health promotion, was adopted under resolution 1035 of 2022. 43. Between 2017 and 2024, over 3.8 million migrants and refugees received attention at Colombian healthcare centres. However, despite these efforts, significant challenges persist. These include resource constraints, growing demands, lack of information and the limited capacity of hospitals, especially those in rural and border areas, to provide comprehensive 4 8 See UNHCR, Operational Data Portal, Columbia (https://data.unhcr.org/en/country/col). GE.25-06163