Beyond the Border, the Rights, and the Reception: Mobility and Immobility in Pandemic Times

Más allá de la frontera, de los derechos y de la bienvenida: movilidad e inmovilidad en tiempos de pandemia

ABSTRACT

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on various forms of mobility within and across international borders. This article analyzed the effects that the measures restricting entry into the Brazilian territory had on cross-border mobility during the pandemic and articulates a discussion around the epidemiological justification used to discriminate and securitize migrations and commuting across borders. For this, it analyzes 42 Ordinances published by the Brazilian government, between 2020 and 2022, and the administrative records of the International Traffic System (STI), of the Federal Police, to identify the effects of restrictions on mobility documented at land border checkpoints from the country. This analysis was combined with research in 13 twin cities located in the Southern, Central and Northern arcs of the Brazilian border. The results show the use of the health crisis to reinforce and expand selective and restrictive measures on migration.

Keywords:
border; international migrations; displacement; pandemic