Located in the northwest of the South American continent and bordering Colombia, Ecuador has been both a destination and transit country for people fleeing conflict in their own country. Ecuador is host to over 70,000 refugees, mainly coming from Colombia and Venezuela.

Most refugee arrivals are accounted at unofficial border crossings, making their migration status even more complicated, as many suffer from trafficking or sexual abuse along their journey. Plans to implement a comprehensive reception and protection strategy was made even more complicated by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which put a strain on both host and refugee populations.