Dr. Amanda Paz Alencar was recently in the border region between Brazil and Venezuela to study the spatial practices and social interactions that constitute Venezuelan refugee movements to the state of Roraima in Brazil. In the framework of her new research project "Invisible Refugee Crises: Intersections between media, communication and forced migration processes", Amanda adopts a grounded, localised approach to the role of media in refugees' daily struggles marked by unequal or precarious footing in destination countries in South America.
This study applies the concepts of ‘space’, ‘mobility’, and ‘solidarity’, which together with the everyday life becomes the link for a better understanding of (mediated) communication practices, activities and interactions that constitute refugee migration trajectories from Venezuela to Brazil, as well as integration experiences in the country of settlement. Dr. Paz Alencarresearch considers the spatial and sociocultural aspects of communication practices and their meaning for the Venezuelans during their journey and settlement, as well as for humanitarian and government actors in the (local and regional) management of Venezuelan refugee movements and the process of ‘interiorization’ -which allows for the mobility and resettlement of Venezuelan refugees in other parts of the country.
The research includes fieldwork in the refugee shelters, local organizations, federal (border) police stations in the Northern part of Brazil (Boa Vista and Pacaraima, border city between Venezuela and Brazil, State of Roraima, Brazil), which took place between 20-30 August 2018. As part of this research, several in-depth interviews with humanitarian (UNHCR, IOM, Red Cross, Fraternity without Borders), security actors (Brazilian Federal Police, Brazilian Army), local organizations and centres (SOS Hermanos, Churches) civilians and refugee actors were conducted.
Dr. Paz Alencar was invited to publish her work in a chapter of the Sage Handbook of Migration and Media (London: Sage), edited by Koen Leurs, Kevin Smets, Myria Georgiou, Sakia Witterborn, Radhika Gajjala. The book is expected to be published in September 2019. Aside from disseminating the results of her study in public and academic conferences, Dr. Paz Alencar will also create a series of blog posts to publish the various stories, angles and important information in an attempt to raise awareness among the International Community about this unprecedented and complex migration and humanitarian crisis in South America.