The State of Santa Catarina (Brazil) as diaspora destination: the recent African immigrants in the city of Florianópolis

Abstract

This article aims to reveal the singularities of the recent African immigration in Florianópolis and neighboring cities. The study, carried out in the period 2015-2017, used both qualitative and quantitative research methods, collecting information and analyzing the profile of a sample of 74 immigrants and refugees assisted by the Extension Project Núcleo de Apoio a Imigrantes e Refugiados (Center for Immigrants and Refugees Support) of the Federal University of Santa Catarina, in partnership with the nonprofit Pastoral do Migrante. This pioneering study in the context of the new migration of Africans in Florianopolis revealed: a) a continuous process of invisibility of black peoples; b) that the absence of specific state policies results in noncompliance with international norms on migration, and pushes universities and the civil society to play the role of hosting these population. The results obtained can serve as a basis to formulate public policies.

Keywords:
Immigrants and Refugees; Africans; Diaspora; Black People; Santa Catarina