“How has exposure to COVID-19 affected prejudice and discrimination towards refugees and migrants? While there have been several early studies of individual attitudes and behaviors in response to the pandemic, this research has almost all been limited to advanced economies in the Global North. We know very little about the impact of COVID-19 on everyday life in the Global South, where weaker healthcare systems and preexisting inequalities likely exacerbate negative health, economic, and social outcomes. Our proposed study will examine whether Colombian citizens have shifted their attitudes towards migration.
For this study, we conduct a panel survey (pre- and during COVID-19) in Colombia. In fall 2019, we conducted face-to-face surveys with about 1,000 Colombians on their attitudes about Venezuelan migrants. In winter 2021, we re-interview the same respondents using computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI). We assess how their COVID exposure has changed their attitudes, especially in light of the additional strain presented by COVID-19 on public healthcare systems and other public services as well as on the labor market. ”
Research Partners
Yang-Yang Zhou, UBC
Margaret Peters, UBC
Danial Rojas Lozano, UBC