A qualitative study of employment, working and health conditions among Venezuelan migrants in Colombia

Abstract

This study aims to explore the perceptions of the Venezuelan immigrant population in Medellín, Colombia, regarding their employment, working and health conditions (physical, mental and psychosocial). A qualitative study was conducted (focused ethnography perspective). Semi‐structured interviews were carried out with 31 Venezuelans and 12 key informants from different social organisations that work with the immigrant population. A narrative content analysis was carried out (Atlas.Ti 8.0 software). The migratory process for Venezuelans is caused for political, economical and social aspects in Venezuela and Colombia is offered as the first destination for labour establishing. Access to the labour market is limited to certain occupations, in many cases in the informal economy. Participants referring low salaries, working long hours and reduced social benefits. Occupational risks are evidenced by low experience in the labour market. Some health problems are perceived, and a good part of the interviewed population referred to signs and symptoms related to mental health problems. Barriers to access health and social protection services were found. Finally, future expectations depend on their adaptation to Colombia, the improvement of social conditions in Venezuela or having chances of improving their social and living conditions in another country. A high labour and social vulnerability were found in Venezuelan participants that impact on physical and mental health. Political and strategies from a public health perspective are required and the implementation of systems for monitoring and evaluating the labour and health situation in the working immigrant population.

Ethical tensions of migrants in the informal economy in the Global South

“…We approach this research from the perspective of multiculturalism (Habermas, 1999; Mouffe, 2013; Taylor, 2001), critical theory (Hesse‐Biber & Leavy, 2011) and decolonial thinking (Spivak, 2003) to discover and comprehend the values, principles and ethical tensions of migrants in the informal economy without any preconception. We agree that individuals express reality, overcome silence, alienating conditions and resistance to participate through everyday expressions such as narratives (Agudelo‐Suárez et al., 2022;Thomson & Jones, 2017) and music and art (Kobin & Tyson, 2006). Therefore, what migrants in the informal economy communicate in aesthetic expressions reflects their values, principles and ethical tensions in a natural and genuine account.…”

“…To the authors’ best knowledge, this paper is the first to investigate the ethical tensions of migrants in the informal economy from the migrant perspective, recognizing their voice, values and principles (Muñoz‐Mora et al., 2022). Some migrants perceive the formal economy as power structures that abuse, control and restrain their identities to make a profit (Agudelo‐Suárez et al., 2022). To compensate, migrants make use of their agency capacity to embrace the informal economy as a counter‐hegemonic practice that attempts to subvert the hegemonic capitalist order against them.…”

“…Previous literature has focused on migrants’ preferences to participate in the informal economy from an institutional and economic stance. Such studies suggest migrants choose to stay in the informal economy for reasons like economic scarcity, subsistence, precarious working conditions in the formal economy or because it is a high income/low cost option (Agudelo‐Suárez et al., 2022; Boels, 2014; Dimitriadis, 2023; Mora, Castillo Caicedo, & Gómez, 2022, Mora, Cuadros‐Menaca, & Sayago, 2022; Ruhs, 2010).…”

Experiences of Providers and Immigrants/Refugees with Health Care: A Meta-Synthesis of the Latin American Context

“…In addition, there is lack of formal health policies aimed at caring for immigrants/refugees (Aizenberg et al, 2015), adequate infrastructure, inputs, and human resources for care (Barbosa et al, 2020;Duden & Martins-Borges, 2021), and health services that are more articulated and less bureaucratic (Carneiro-Junior et al, 2018;Carneiro-Junior et al, 2022;Motizuki et al, 2019;Ojeda et al, 2020). As a consequence, immigrants/ refugees face difficulties accessing health services (Aizenberg et al, 2015;Arcos et al, 2018;Calderón et al, 2020;Giraldo et al, 2021;Ramírez-Santana et al, 2019), especially primary care services (Pedrozo et al, 2021;Pinto et al, 2019), compelling them, especially undocumented ones, to extensivily use emergency units as a gateway (Agudelo-Suárez et al, 2022;Barreto et al, 2019;Giraldo et al, 2021;Pedrozo et al, 2021).…”

“…Current and Past Vulnerabilities of Immigrants/Refugees. Several studies indicate that immigrants/refugees experience intense and diverse situations of vulnerability that interfere in their relationship with providers (Agudelo-Suárez et al, 2022;Aizenberg et al, 2015;Arcos et al, 2018;Barbosa et al, 2020;Barreto et al, 2019;Bernales et al, 2017;Carneiro-Junior et al, 2018;Shedlin et al, 2014;Souza et al, 2021). These vulnerabilities are related to the migration/refugee process and are maintained in the host country.…”