Nearly half of all Venezuelans are still considering leaving their homeland, desperate to escape a country ravaged by economic collapse, political persecution and relentless violence under the rule of strongman Nicolás Maduro, according to a recent poll.

According to the poll by Venezuelan market research firm Meganalisis, 44% of respondents said they are considering emigrating, as everyday life in the country continues to unravel. But unlike the first waves of migration, those contemplating the move now are facing a painful question.

“They find themselves asking, ‘Where could we possibly go?’” said Meganalisis President Rubén Chirinos. “Last year, the United States was the most popular destination. Now, people are watching Venezuelans being deported back — and they realize that option may be off the table.”

More than 7.7 million Venezuelans have fled the country in the past few years, flooding into neighboring Latin American nations and, in large numbers, the United States. But as anti-immigrant sentiment rises in the host countries, new migrants are encountering more resistance—and fewer choices.

Nearby nations like Colombia and Peru, once common landing spots, are becoming less welcoming. “People see it as moving to a different apartment in the same crumbling building,” Chirinos said, pointing to widespread discrimination and economic instability in the region.

The U.S., once a beacon of hope for Venezuelan exiles, is now moving to shut its door.

On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump moved swiftly to dismantle immigration protections previously granted to Venezuelans. He reinstated hardline policies, fast-tracking deportations under emergency wartime powers and accusing Maduro of sending members of the Tren de Aragua gang into the U.S. to sow chaos.

While some of the administration’s efforts are being challenged in U.S. courts, weekly flights carrying deportees back to Venezuela have already begun. Many of the returnees are then paraded on state-run TV as political trophies by Maduro’s regime.

The poll, conducted between March 24-31, paints a grim picture of a nation in limbo. Maduro remains in power, even though nine out of 10 Venezuelans — and numerous international governments — believe he lost last July’s presidential election.

According to the poll:

— 9 of respondents said they’ve already made the decision to leave.

— 35% are thinking about leaving.

— 57% don’t quite know if they will do it, but are considering it.

The top reasons given for wanting to flee are no surprise:

— 81% cited Maduro’s continued grip on power.

— 66% blamed the country’s deteriorating economy.

— 64% pointed to a complete lack of opportunity.

A previous Meganalisis poll revealed that 93% of Venezuelans don’t believe Maduro won the last election. Though the government-controlled National Electoral Council claims he secured nearly 52% of the vote, even some regime supporters now privately admit that opposition candidate Edmundo González was the true winner.

Armed with tallies from 80% of the country’s voting stations, opposition leaders say González actually won more than 65% of the vote. They are now sounding alarms across the region, warning that leaders in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, and the U.S. are underestimating the scale of the crisis.

“Venezuela is a ticking time bomb,” one opposition spokesperson recently said. “If nothing changes, there will be another massive wave of refugees.”

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