DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY

Mapping the Humanitarian Visa Policy in Brazil

Project disclaimer

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Description

Humanitarian visas (HVs) are facilitated visas that allow people fleeing conflicts, persecutions and humanitarian emergencies to cross an international border safely and find physical and legal protection in another country. The academic literature is highly focused on the discretionary power of European Union countries in individually deciding about HVs and their pros and cons. However, the use of HVs in South-South corridors and its specific dynamics are still understudied. This study addresses this gap in the specific case of Latin America, where scholars have recognised how humanitarian visa policies lack a clear definition, to whom they are applied and how they impact other international protection systems, such as asylum. Most studies focus on HVs in the context of the Venezuelan displacement in the region or on individual HVs in Brazil. The country created its first HV program in 2012, later consolidated in its Migration Law in 2017. Until 2024, Brazil has granted HVs to four different groups: 1) Haitians; 2) people affected by the Syrian armed conflict; 3) Afghans and 4) Ukrainians. By looking at Brazilian stakeholders' perspectives, this study will contribute to better define humanitarian visas and evaluate related policies. This project aims to establish and consolidate a diverse and interdisciplinary network of collaborators to advance knowledge about HVs in Brazil in order to contribute to the conceptual debate and co-develop further research projects on the issue. We aim to answer the questions: How do different stakeholders perceive and evaluate Brazil's humanitarian visa (HV) policy? What can other countries learn from that? The core network will involve three Brazilian early career scholars working in Brazil and the United Kingdom. Through two project visits (one in Brazil and one in the UK), we will develop and consolidate a network with different stakeholders: Brazilian and international scholars (especially from the InterMob/UFSCar (Interdisciplinary group of migration and mobilities research, Brazil) and the Migration Research Group at the University of Sheffield, UK), the Brazilian government, national and international organisations and migrant-led organisations and activists in Brazil. The Brazilian visit will consist of one internal workshop at UFSCar with the core team that will lead to a first conceptual reflection on HVs from a Brazilian perspective. We will visit different partners in order to map the stakeholders involved in the HVs policies in Brazil and discuss next steps and collaborations. Such stakeholders will then be invited to a national forum in Sao Paulo to collect exploratory data to understand the Brazilian humanitarian visa definition, problems and possibilities. The UK visit will involve one final workshop in Sheffield to share the final report in Portuguese and English with the evaluation of the Brazilian HVs experience, policy recommendations and lessons. We will invite other UK researchers and networks involved in HVs discussions to promote Knowledge Exchange. This project co-designed as an equal partnership between the involved actors will allow us to a) contribute to define HVs from a Brazilian perspective b) build a sustainable network of academics, decision-makers and practitioners in Brazil and the UK and c) co-construct a collaborative research environment to apply for larger grant applications. Our project will benefit the different stakeholders by recognising their voices on the topic and will contribute to potentially improve HV policies for people in need of them.

Objectives

ISPF aims to foster prosperity by solving shared global research and innovation challenges. This will be done through working closely with international partners to: support research excellence and build the knowledge and technology of tomorrow strengthen ties with international partners that share our values; enable researchers and innovators to cultivate connections, follow their curiosity and pioneer transformations internationally, for the good of the planet. Activities under ISPF ODA aim to deliver research and innovation partnerships with low- and middle-income countries.

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Location

The country, countries or regions that benefit from this Programme.

Brazil

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