Haitian Immigration Network for French Guiana: The Northern Brazilian Amazon on the Diaspora Route

Abstract

The intensity of the Haitian migratory flow to South America increased with the earthquake of 2010 and included Brazil not only as a destination country, but also as a route to French Guiana. The Franco-Amapaense border (Amapá/Brazil - French Guiana/France), previously not accessed by this flow in the northern Brazilian Amazon, became strategic. This paper presents the results of research conducted between 2015 and 2017 on the modus operandi of Haitian migration through this new route, its mechanisms and forms of action. The approach of the phenomenon came from the perspective of migratory networks and the investigation was based on data collection and systematization, reports of network agents and bibliographic research. The results obtained allow us to affirm that the migratory network constituted an important part of its structure in the Brazilian frontier territory.

Keywords

• Haitian immigration. Diaspora route. French Guiana. Amapá.