International Migrations and challenges of low border policy: data collection and reading in social Assistance in Corumbá, MS, Brazil

Abstract

This article aims to demonstrate the initial results obtained from action research, which has as a premise the improvement of data collection and reading practices in the Secretaria Municipal de Assistência Social e Cidadania de Corumbá, MS, Brazil. The methodology adopted by Migrafron consisted of two fronts. The first, related to the procedures at the Casa do Migrante, involved the creation of reliable, stable and free ways of digitally capturing the data that are collected manually there. The second was based on the procedures adopted by Oliveira, Almeida and Aguilar (2020), which consisted of bringing light to the data available in the digital environments that the municipality had. Therefore, by accessing the CadUnico’s  database, it was possible to bring information related to international migrants that was invisible to the eyes of the public agents. The results demonstrate that it is feasible to build a digital and dynamic cartographic base to subsidize decision-making regarding assistance to international migrants.