Venezuelans in Peru: Adaptation attitudes, optimism and relations with host society

Abstract

By August 2023, the global population of Venezuelan migrants and refugees had reached 7.7 million. This constitutes one of the world largest migration movements in the recent decades and is arguably the most significant one in the context of South–South migration. This paper investigates adaptation attitudes of Venezuelan migrants as well as the attitudes towards their adaptation among Peruvian neighbours living in Peru. Furthermore, we explore the importance of optimism and intergroup relations for the adaptation attitudes. For this purpose, we designed and conducted a survey among Venezuelan migrants and their Peruvian neighbours in Peru between April and May 2023. Significant differences in adaptation attitudes were identified between migrants and their native neighbours. Venezuelans exhibited a greater proclivity towards positive adaptation whereas their neighbours demonstrated a tendency to marginalize or separate migrants. This can potentially lead to give rise to heightened conflict between two populations, thereby becoming a significant factor driving further migration of Venezuelans to other countries. However, optimism emerged as significant factor in shaping adaptation attitudes across both populations.