Colombia – a Migration Nation: exploring the experiences of young Colombian migrants

Abstract

Acknowledgements First of all, a big gracias to the participants who shared so openly their personal stories, giving unique insight to an important topic. Thank you to my supervisor Marcela Douglas for enthusiasm and much needed guidance. Thank you to the Center for Peace Studies for giving me the opportunity to meet and get to know so many beautiful people from all over the world, always challenging my world view. Thank you to my wonderful friends for listening to both my chaotic excitement and silly whining over this project. Finally, a gigantic thank you to my family for supporting me in this project and always encouraging me to continue.

Abstract This study explored the lived experiences of young Colombians who have migrated from Colombia to Argentina between 2010 and 2020. The life history method of qualitative research was utilized to explore the personal experiences, challenges and triumphs, of migrants. Through inductive analysis two dominant themes were revealed: opportunity and security. Within both these themes several subthemes were also identified: violence, education, work, community, health, identity. Conclusion from this study are that structural violence and uncertainty played a role in This thesis aims to provide a deeper understanding of the underlying motivations for the migration of young Colombians, as well as insights on historical and political aspects of contemporary South – South Migration.

Keywords: Migration, South America, Colombia, Life Stories, violence, opportunity, identity