Generales

By Johansson Cruz Lopera, Journalist

The “Cities Without Borders” project, led by UdeA in collaboration with the Casa de las Estrategias Foundation, aims to de-escalate hate speech, ensure rights for the migrant population, and raise awareness about the reality of migration. The strategy seeks to build a new narrative surrounding Venezuelan migration in Colombia through pedagogical, communicative, and research-based approaches. It has been implemented across six countrywide cities with a significant migrant population.

Photo: Courtesy of “Cities Without Borders”

In the latest census conducted by the National Administrative Department of Statistics (Dane) in 2020, Medellin reported a population of 2,553,424 inhabitants. Imagine if all these people decided to leave and spread throughout Colombia. The scenario closely mirrors the ongoing situation with the Venezuelan migrant and refugee population. Since 2014, they have begun to enter Colombia as a result of an economic, humanitarian, and social crisis in Venezuela. 

According to recent data from Migration Colombia, as of January 31, 2024, the Venezuelan migrant population in the country stands at 2,584,574. Out of this total, 1,942,524 migrants have already completed the regularization process in Colombia, while 642,050 are undergoing regularization procedures.

The Temporary Protection Status of Venezuelan Migrants (ETPV) covers seventy-one percent of this regularized population. Women represent 50.2% of the Venezuelan migrant population in Colombia, while men account for 49.8%. The main host cities are Bogotá, Medellín, Barranquilla, Cali, and Cúcuta, where most economic activity and job opportunities are concentrated.

Astrid Carrasquilla Puerta, academic coordinator of the “Cities Without Borders” project and professor at the UdeA School of Communications and Philology, says, “There is still minimal cultural reflection on migration. People need to understand that migration is a right. The lack of knowledge about the causes of migration is profound, and the media needs to contribute more to understanding it. They report on humanitarian crises in places like the Darien or incidents where foreigners commit crimes, but no work allows people to understand what migration is.” 

Building a new narrative

Carrasquilla asserts, “We are witnessing a pivotal moment in Colombia’s history due to this integration challenge. Many displaced Venezuelan people encounter obstacles in accessing clear pathways for care and opportunities for employment, health, education, drinking water, and shelters.” She continues, “This situation exposes them to human trafficking, labor, and sexual exploitation, among others.”

In this context, the “Cities Without Borders” project is being developed and promoted by the Barrio U Laboratory of the Communications and Philology Faculty at the Universidad de Antioquia and the Casa de las Estrategias Foundation. Additionally, it receives support from the Lives in Dignity grant fund, administered by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), with resources from the European Union. 

The objective is to promote integration between Colombians and Venezuelans, guarantee rights, and reduce discriminatory practices in six cities in the country: Medellín, Cúcuta, Apartadó, Bogotá, Cali, and Barranquilla. These cities precisely coincide with the areas where the highest number of new arrivals have been recorded, as reported by Migración Colombia.

In progress toward integration, there must be an understanding of the reasons behind migration, acknowledgment of it as a fundamental right, and recognition of the international agreements safeguarding this right. This initiative dedicates itself to building a new narrative around this social phenomenon that has increased in the past decade.

“Changing the xenophobic and aporophobic narrative about migrants encompasses various aspects. Political decisions, for example, are often filtered through emotional and symbolic lenses. We justify the project from this perspective because access to rights is a crucial determinant,” said the academic coordinator. 

An excellent example of this phenomenon is access to healthcare. If a guard at a healthcare facility holds prejudice against migrants, their bias alone can hinder the migrant’s access to their rights. Changing the narrative is fundamental because it implies de-escalating hate speeches and ensuring people can access their rights in dignified conditions. 

Gabrielle Chaizy, UNOPS Grant Management Specialist, noted that this project was chosen from proposals due to its emphasis on narrative transformation. “While other projects focus on tangible infrastructure activities such as building schools or housing, this one stands out as the only one dedicated to integrating communities through reflection and constructing new narratives,” she said. 

Migration challenges  

In 2023, over 4,300 people benefited from this initiative, which promotes cultural diversity and integration between migrant and refugee populations alongside host communities. This initiative comprises three key components: pedagogical, communicative, and research and articulation. 

Photo: Courtesy of “Cities Without Borders”

Astrid Carrasquilla highlighted that many mothers impacted by the project express a permanent fear that their children may face abuse due to their nationality. “We have a generation of young people here who are confined because their mothers, many of whom are heads of households, do everything in their power to prevent them from venturing outside. For example, they ensure access to the Internet for games and movies,” Carrasquilla then raised concerns about the implications for the development of children, adolescents, and young people experiencing migratory trauma while being deprived of natural socialization environments. This situation arises from fear, exclusion from specific scenarios, or inadequate public policies that do not facilitate integration.

These children, especially young people, face numerous challenges as they grapple with feelings of displacement and struggle to form friendships. The social landscape is evolving, with the emergence of binational families becoming increasingly common. Many Venezuelans strongly desire to settle permanently and are building their life plan in the country.

The migrant population requires differential approaches. Within this context, the educational setting holds particular significance. As integral members of society, teachers may harbor biases that affect their interactions with migrant students. Educators must undergo training and reflective processes to mitigate these prejudices and effectively support migrant students.  

Viviana Méndez, a teacher at the Isaías Gamboa Educational Institution in the city of Cali, highlighted the significance of the “Cities Without Borders” project, stating: “At our institution, we have a project within the Social Sciences domain that focuses on cultural environment, sense of belonging and peaceful coexistence. Through this framework, we address human rights issues, and thanks to this initiative, we have started to delve into the topic of migration. While we have always approached multiculturalism and interculturalism, particularly about the Afro and indigenous communities, extending these pedagogical practices to address Venezuelan migration, a reality within our institution, had not previously occurred to us.” 

“We need to create space for narratives that allow us to acknowledge that migration presents opportunities and significant contributions to culture and the economy. For example, it significantly bolsters the pension system’s sustainability by introducing a large, youthful workforce that begins contributing to the system,” said the professor. She also highlighted the misconception that Venezuelans only need support; many have come to create companies or are highly skilled and now share their expertise and knowledge in our communities. “There is a pressing need to amplify these alternative stories that underscore the positive contributions of migration and understand it in its entirety, rather than solely focusing on its negative aspects,” concluded Astrid Carrasquilla.