A governança política da “Operação Acolhida” para migrantes e refugiados venezuelanos: uma análise das dinâmicas de securitização e descentralização em três municípios da Região Sul do Brasil (2018-2022)

Abstract

As international migration dynamics intensified in the 21st century, significant changes occurred in migratory flows, with a focus on Venezuelan migration in the context of the Global South. It is estimated that around 7 million Venezuelans left Venezuela, primarily since 2013, due to the political and economic crises the country has experienced; of these, approximately 6 million migrated to Latin American countries. In Brazil, by 2022, the country became the destination for 351,958 displaced Venezuelans. In this context, the main objective of this research was to investigate the operation of the Operação Acolhida (Welcome Operation), the primary emergency initiative responsible for the reception and integration of this population within the national territory, by identifying and characterizing the two main dynamics of its political governance: securitization and decentralization. Specifically, the strategy of internalization was analyzed in the three Brazilian municipalities that most decentralized this community between 2018 and 2022 in the Southern Region of Brazil: Porto Alegre (RS), Chapecó (SC), and Curitiba (PR). The methodology adopted was comparative and qualitative, using semi-structured and open-ended interview scripts. Interviews were conducted with representatives of Venezuelan migrants and refugees, representatives of non-governmental organizations involved with this population, and representatives of municipal public authorities responsible for local management of migration issues in the three selected cities. The results highlight the crucial role of civil society organizations and Venezuelan representatives in the reception and integration of this community in Brazilian territory, contrasting with and compensating for the absence of minimally defined migration policies in the analyzed municipal governments. Thus, the results reveal a political-institutional gap regarding municipal practices related to the socioeconomic and cultural integration of Venezuelan migrants and refugees, which exposes the limitations of the securitization and decentralization dynamics in the political governance involving the Operação Acolhida.