A/HRC/41/18 especially at the hands of the Bolivarian National Guard. Moreover, border closures and additional requirements to travel to transit and destination countries force migrants to use unofficial crossing points and therefore increase their risk of suffering abuses. According to government information, between 2017 and 2019, the Office of the Attorney General has registered 85 complaints against officials of the administrative service of identification, migration and immigration; 196 officials are being investigated, 87 were charged and 34 convicted on corruption charges. 74. According to government information, since 2018, 14,070 Venezuelans have returned to the country in the context of its plan Return to the Homeland. 50 Human rights violations in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, including of the rights to food and health, create protection needs based on international human rights law and standards, including obligations related to non-return. Furthermore, these violations create situations of vulnerability that mark the migratory process at every stage, which also requires human rights protection. VI. Conclusions 75. OHCHR considers there are reasonable grounds to believe that grave violations of economic and social rights, including the rights to food and health, have been committed in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Until recently, the Government had refused to acknowledge the scale of the crisis and failed to adopt appropriate measures. As the economic crisis deepened, the authorities began using social programmes in a discriminatory manner, based on political grounds and as an instrument of social control, which disproportionately affects women. Recent economic sanctions are exacerbating the economic crisis, which will ultimately increase the negative impact on the population’s enjoyment of economic and social rights. 76. For over a decade, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has adopted and implemented a series of laws, policies and practices which have restricted the democratic space, weakened public institutions and affected the independence of the judiciary. Although those measures have been adopted with the declared purpose of preserving public order and national security against alleged internal and external threats, they have increased the militarization of State institutions and the use of the civilian population in intelligence gathering and defence tasks. 77. This context has enabled the Government to commit numerous human rights violations. The authorities have particularly targeted certain individuals and groups, including members of the political opposition and those perceived as threats to the Government because of their capacity to articulate critical positions and to mobilize others. This targeted repression manifests itself in a multitude of human rights violations, which may amount to persecution on political grounds. These violations require further investigation to determine relevant State and individual criminal responsibility. 78. Thousands of people, mainly young men, have been killed in alleged confrontations with State forces during the past years. There are reasonable grounds to believe that many of these killings constitute extrajudicial executions committed by the security forces, in particular by the Special Action Forces of the Bolivarian National Police. OHCHR is concerned that the authorities may be using the Special Action Forces, and possibly other security forces, as part of a policy of social control. These killings warrant immediate investigation to ensure accountability of perpetrators and guarantees of non-recurrence. 79. Venezuelan indigenous peoples face serious violations to their individual and collective rights. OHCHR is particularly concerned about reports of threats and violence against indigenous authorities and leaders, and targeted repression of Pemons who oppose the Government. Further investigation into the rights of indigenous peoples is needed, with particular attention to the repression of indigenous peoples, and violations of their collective rights to land, territories and resources. 50 Information provided by the Government. 15