Migration in South America is by no means a new phenomenon. For decades, people have sought out other countries for economic hardship, political instability and the hope of a better life. But in recent years, the patterns of migration have shifted sharply, especially with the mass exodus of Venezuelans leaving their country’s deepening crisis. This migration, the largest displacement crisis in Latin America, is changing the borders, economies and social systems of South America.
And the political and economic crisis in Venezuela has been driving millions of its people to flee to neighboring countries such as Colombia, Brazil and Peru. Since 2015, more than seven million Venezuelans have left their home, chafed by hyperinflation, food shortages and a government that has become ever less attuned to the needs of its populace. Though a primary destination for Venezuelans fleeing their land was Colombia, the country that shares a lengthy border with Venezuela, another Latin American country such as Chile and Argentina have also opened their doors to migrants searching for new lives.
Countries not only hosting the Palestinian refugees but also their populations are dangerously limited the process of assimilation and reintegration since by nature, they are living on the margins and unable to withstand the social and economic burden of this large influx of refugees. In Colombia, home to nearly two million Venezuelans today, the government has struggled to ensure there are legal pathways for migrants to settle there, as well as access to services and supportive systems. Local communities, particularly in border regions, are often under pressure nevertheless. The jobs, healthcare and schooling in short supply often become even less available to stateless people when millions of refugees arrive. In some areas, tensions have flared as migrants are often cast as a source of competition for limited resources and sometimes also accused of committing crimes, leading to xenophobic attitudes and violence.
Things are a little different in Brazil. The government has worked to balance humanitarian assistance with security considerations. The northern state of Roraima has been especially affected, with thousands of Venezuelans crossing the border each day. Though Brazil has been kinder than many other nations, the difficulty is in providing sustained help. Local authorities, aided by international organizations, have focused on building shelters and providing basic services. But its integration has long been a critical challenge. It has been too little time for migrants to settle, however, amid a scarcity of jobs and the pressure on public services.
Further south, Argentina and Chile have also witnessed an increase in Venezuelans arriving. These stronger, wealthier, and more stable countries are not immune to this dilemma, and they have additional pressures to straddle migrants flooding into their countries while preserving the welfare of their own citizens. Chile has, for example, had a more selective immigration policy, with new visa systems and temporary protections that have attracted both critics and praise. Others say Cuba is too rigid, while those who emigrated hope foreign applicants are precisely screened, so as not to overwhelm social services.
The situation is complex. The immediate response in neighboring South American countries has been an attempt to accommodate the inflow, but the long-term solutions are proving more difficult to implement. On the one hand, there is a palpable awareness that there is the obligation to offer asylum, health care and education to Venezuelans who migrate. On one side there is the legal right of these migrants to be considered for asylum under international law and on the other the economic reality of how they can be integrated into already fragile economies. The ultimate question is how South America can emerge from the refugee crisis as sanitary opportunity for growth, rather than a deviant exacerbation of social and economic inequality. With the ongoing migration, how the region holds new modes of participation, coordination and support between migrants and host communities will be also be integral.
