A Scoping Review of the Venezuelan Migration in Three South American Countries

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Migrations are among the most complex social phenomena in the history of mankind. In Latin America, the Venezuelan migration (VM) of the last two decades has altered the emotional dynamics of the migrant themselves and the populations of host countries such as Colombia, Ecuador, and Perú. In order to point out strategies of management and prevention, this review examines the sociocultural variables at play during the process, and the main mental health problems faced by the VM protagonists in these three Andean countries. Methods: This is a narrative/scoping review of diverse and reliable information sources about the VM in the three countries. Data are grouped in two sections: sociocultural variables and specific mental health impact. Results: Findings reflect both qualitative and quantitative information about reasons to migrate, educational level, living conditions and response from host communities, as well as mental illnesses prevalence related to experiences such as victimization by discriminatory/xenophobic behaviors, criminalization, and abuses. Conclusions: The impact of the VM has been intense and multiform on both migrant and host populations, unveiling individual, collective, social/community, and government/administrative vulnerabilities. National and international agencies must propitiate collaborative research and public/mental health initiatives for a better management of general and specific aspects of the process.

Interplay of premigration crisis exposure and postmigration cultural stress on depressive symptoms among Venezuelan crisis migrants in Colombia.

“…That being said, scholars have noted that Venezuelan migration is not without economic consequences in Colombia, perhaps especially among low-skilled and informal workers (Peñaloza-Pacheco, 2022). The rapid-onset, large-scale migration of Venezuelans has altered social dynamics in receiving countries and provoked nativist sentiments across South America (see Alarcón et al, 2022). Indeed, there is evidence that discrimination experiences are an important challenge for Venezuelan migrants in Colombia (Mejía-Trujillo et al, 2023; Schwartz et al, 2018) and elsewhere in the Americas (Berrios-Riquelme et al, 2022; Mougenot et al, 2021).…”

Exploring the impact of Ecuador’s policies on the right to health of Venezuelan migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review

“…However, with an increase in the influx of Venezuelans in 2018, Ecuador saw a shift in its migration policies. Different measures to control migration flows were implemented, including passport, visa and official criminal record requirements, which have been criticized for their cost and inaccessibility, resulting in many migrants opting to enter Ecuador through illegal routes ( Mazza, 2020 ; Brumat and Finn, 2021 ; Machado et al , 2021 ; Wolfe, 2021 ; Alarcon et al. , 2022 ).…”

Online xenophobia and mental health among Venezuelan migrant youth in Colombia: The interplay with “in-person” discrimination.

“…Prior research among Venezuelan crisis migrants suggests that migration-related cultural stress, including exposure to identity-based discrimination, is an important challenge for many youth and adults (see Salas-Wright et al, 2022; Vos et al, 2021). Alarcon et al (2022) have noted that the large-scale migration of Venezuelans has provoked nativist sentiments in a number of other Latin American countries. This host-national reaction is consistent with reactionary dynamics observed throughout history in the face of mass migration and rapid-onset population change (Capelos & Katsanidou, 2018; Cohn, 2000).…”