Wall of visas: how race impacts the externalization of (forced) migration control in south-south migration corridors
Wall of visas: how race impacts the externalization of (forced) migration control in south-south migration corridors
Externalization happens when countries “extend” their borders beyond their territorial limits. While existing literature on it focuses on the “Global North”, similar practices in the “Global South” are understudied and implemented differently, with a greater use of visas as a hidden type of externalization strategy. Little is known on whether these practices are racially determined. We partly fill this gap; focusing on Brazil, we demonstrate how it uses humanitarian visas for Haitians and family reunification visas for Sub-Saharan African refugees as an externalization strategy to control the (forced) migration of black forced migrants to Brazil. We draw from thematic analysis of legislation, minutes from official meetings, interviews with stakeholders and diplomatic archival research. We show that, despite its “liberal” migration policy, Brazil's visa policies instead function as a hidden externalization strategy, operating as a metaphorical “racial wall of visas”, keeping mainly black (forced) migrants out, preventing them from receiving protection.
Brazil, Visas, externalization, family reunification, global south, race
Cintra, Natalia
875176c4-c3b4-40bf-a6bd-90fea4a9058b
Nabuco Martuscelli, Patrícia
8096349f-9251-4f81-84e3-d6319e9af0b9
7 April 2025
Cintra, Natalia
875176c4-c3b4-40bf-a6bd-90fea4a9058b
Nabuco Martuscelli, Patrícia
8096349f-9251-4f81-84e3-d6319e9af0b9
Cintra, Natalia and Nabuco Martuscelli, Patrícia
(2025)
Wall of visas: how race impacts the externalization of (forced) migration control in south-south migration corridors.
Ethnic and Racial Studies.
(doi:10.1080/01419870.2025.2484410).
Abstract
Externalization happens when countries “extend” their borders beyond their territorial limits. While existing literature on it focuses on the “Global North”, similar practices in the “Global South” are understudied and implemented differently, with a greater use of visas as a hidden type of externalization strategy. Little is known on whether these practices are racially determined. We partly fill this gap; focusing on Brazil, we demonstrate how it uses humanitarian visas for Haitians and family reunification visas for Sub-Saharan African refugees as an externalization strategy to control the (forced) migration of black forced migrants to Brazil. We draw from thematic analysis of legislation, minutes from official meetings, interviews with stakeholders and diplomatic archival research. We show that, despite its “liberal” migration policy, Brazil's visa policies instead function as a hidden externalization strategy, operating as a metaphorical “racial wall of visas”, keeping mainly black (forced) migrants out, preventing them from receiving protection.
Text
Wall of visas how race impacts the externalization of forced migration control in south-south migration corridors
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 20 March 2025
e-pub ahead of print date: 7 April 2025
Published date: 7 April 2025
Keywords:
Brazil, Visas, externalization, family reunification, global south, race
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 501404
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/501404
ISSN: 0141-9870
PURE UUID: 94725e99-8eea-4ae5-af72-97c6f9ebb5fd
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Date deposited: 30 May 2025 16:48
Last modified: 31 May 2025 02:03
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Author:
Natalia Cintra
Author:
Patrícia Nabuco Martuscelli
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