Temporary Shelter: Venezuelan Migrants and the Uncertainty of Waiting in Colombia

Abstract

In the wake of the social, economic, and political crisis in their own country, millions of Venezuelans have fled to neighboring Colombia. This study aims to understand how temporary shelters in Colombia meet the needs of Venezuelan newcomers—and why, in many cases, they do not. Using the framework of temporal uncertainty, this article explores how periods of waiting perpetuate a form of violence on migrants which shelters attempt to mitigate. Findings highlight the challenges of shelter work in this context and the obstacles facing one of the largest migrations in the world today.

Keywords:

• Venezuelan migrants
• south-South migration
• temporary shelters
• humanitarian response

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by Rule of Law Collaborative at the University of South Carolina.