Assistência à migração venezuelana: experiência de gestores na articulação interinstitucional em rede

Abstract

The economic and political crisis in Venezuela has resulted in an intense migratory flow to bordering countries, including Brazil. Since 2016, the massive arrival of Venezuelan migrants, mainly in the North of the country, has imposed challenges to public policies and assistance networks. Given this scenario, this study aimed to understand the assistance networks for Venezuelan migrants in Brazil from the perspective of managers

of international organizations and government representatives. Using the theoretical- methodological approach of hermeneutic phenomenology, the experience of eight

managers involved in providing assistance to Venezuelan migrants in Boa Vista and Pacaraima, Roraima, was analyzed. The narrative about their work, the meanings attributed to the figure of the migrant and the actions carried out are analyzed from Bruno Latour's Actor-Network Theory and Tim Ingold's perspective of meshworks and lifelines. The aim was to analyze how the interactions between different agents shape the assistance provided and how these networks were constantly changing. The results highlighted the complexity of the assistance network for Venezuelan migrants in Brazil, especially in the state of Roraima, where the most intense migratory flows were concentrated. Multiple institutions have come together to offer services such as documentation, shelter, food assistance, and health care. Some challenges related to networking were also mentioned, such as the lack of unified guidelines. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the need for improvisation and adaptation of services, highlighting the importance of institutional flexibility in responding to crises. Another relevant aspect was the ambiguity in the perception of migrants: as individuals in an extremely vulnerable situation, or as active agents who can contribute to the definition and improvement of public policies. This perception directly influences the way actions are structured and implemented, and the mix of humanitarian aid and human rights perspectives was also characteristic of the Brazilian assistance network in response to the migration crisis. It is possible to infer, therefore, that the assistance networks were not fixed structures, but intricate, dynamic systems, shaped by the articulations, negotiations and tensions between managers, institutional norms and the needs of migrants.