The "Venezuelan migrant" in Brazil: conceptions of coordinators of the Brazilian National Health System

Abstract This study aims to analyze the conceptions of coordinators of the Brazilian National Health System services regarding the Venezuelan individual, as well as the health care practices of their respective teams of professionals with the Venezuelan population, in a municipality in South Brazil. This is a qualitative study that involved focus groups with coordinators of health services in the region. The results were analyzed via an inductive Thematic Analysis and organized into two main themes: (1) conceptions about the “Venezuelan migrant individual” in Brazil; and (2) health care policies, strategies, and practices for the Venezuelan population. We identified that the conceptions of coordinators point toward the vulnerabilization of Venezuelans in different spheres, while indicating a non-difference in relation to Brazilians and questioning the health rights of the migrant population in Brazil. Furthermore, there are no specific public health policies for Venezuelan migrants, instead there are actions at an interpersonal level by health service professionals. Getting to know the specificities of migrant populations, such as Venezuelans, provides an opportunity to develop consistent public health policies, especially for proposing more culturally sensitive health practices.