ENTRE LAÇOS, LUTAS E HORIZONTES MIGRATÓRIOS: A permanência de estudantes africanos do PEC-G no Brasil e suas motivações no contexto maranhense

Abstract

This study investigates the complex motivations that lead African students, who are graduates of the Student-Exchange Program (PEC-G) at the Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA), to remain in Brazil after completing their courses. The research, which spanned from 2022 to 2025, employed participant observation, open questionnaires, and open interviews with nine students. An initial survey at UFMA indicated that Cape Verde, Benin, and Ghana have the highest representation, and that health-related courses are the most sought after. However, the institutional assistance for exchange students at UFMA reveals gaps, with the absence of structured initial welcoming and post-graduation follow-up. Reception duties are delegated to the International Relations Office, and other demands are handled by existing pro-rectories. The analysis of empirical data, triangulated with theoretical frameworks of diaspora and migration, revealed three central categories. The first, "Building Networks and Belonging in the Diaspora: Bridges to Permanence," highlights the formation of affective ties and the creation of mutual support mechanisms (such as the Association of Africans in Maranhão - AAMA) as fundamental pillars for adaptation and overcoming adversity, transforming a temporary stay into a life project rooted in Brazil. The second category, "Between Academic Opportunities and Structural Racism: The Dichotomies of Permanence," demonstrates the collective efforts of the African community to deconstruct negative and homogeneous images of the African continent in Brazil through cultural and academic events. However, the persistence of structural racism and xenophobia (evidenced by prejudiced interactions and employability challenges) remains a significant barrier. This category explores the dichotomies experienced, where the pursuit of academic qualification (postgraduation) emerges as a crucial strategy for legal and professional permanence, contrasting with challenges such as bureaucracy in obtaining diplomas and persistent unemployment stemming from racism. Finally, the category, "Brazilian Reality: Opportunities, Barriers, and Perceptions," reveals that despite their permanence, longing for family and the aspiration to contribute to the development of their home nations keep alive the idea of a return, which is seen as a long-term project conditioned by economic and social factors. It's concluded that the permanence of these students is a multifaceted phenomenon, resulting from a constant negotiation between push and pull factors, individual agency, and the complexity of diasporic identities within a context of future challenges and aspirations.