Brazilian Migration Regime and Differential Control of International Mobility during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This article examines the effects of international mobility restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil from March 2020 to October 2021. We argue that a peculiar migration and border regime was established in this period, which did not totally suspend the established norms but instead enforced selective hypervigilance, placing under exception determined places and groups of migrants. We conducted an exploratory qualitative study by interviewing migrant residents and examining the totality of restrictive normative ordinances produced by the Brazilian government to control international cross-border circulation. We also explored the Federal Police data on deportations through the pandemic period. We state that there has been an excessive growth of deportations, especially in the border areas. The border closure thus created a normative basis for socio-spatial differentiation of migration control, enhancing vigilance in border zones and illegalizing migrants in non-gateway localities.