Migrant Women Negotiating Mobility and Belonging in Portugal: Informed by Intersectional Analysis of Experiences of Latin American Women from Brazil and Hispanic Countries

This research follows the actions Hispanic migrant women take in their decision to migrate to Portugal and how they respond to and resist challenges in their new lives, including borders. In this work, particular emphasis is placed on how and to what extent they engage in community-building activities to enhance their inclusion. While Portugal is not immune from securitisation, there is a relative leniency towards irregular migration at the state level. Regularisation is commonly carried out on a case-by-case basis through the Expression of Interest Process, which in recent years has become somewhat of an avenue for those looking to migrate to Portugal outside of other visa options. However, wait times have increased due to factors such as COVID-19-era delays and a sharp increase in migrants, which leaves migrants without legal status and full access to the rights that residency conveys. Many of the women in this study have gone through or are currently going through this process. Various organizations at state and non-state levels, including civil society organizations, have developed initiatives to support migrants, and irregular migrants are typically included within the scope of those projects. However, resources do not meet the demand; furthermore, migrants still face many integration challenges in Porto, particularly regarding low-salaried jobs, the cost-of-living crisis, social inclusion, and xenophobia. This work argues that migrant women engage in community-building to negotiate borders, xenophobia, and belonging often through collaboration and solidarity within civil society initiatives. These activities may range from informal reciprocity and the cultivation of social connections to migrant activism. The interviews indicate that various factors can overlap to impact migrant women’s situated lives, such as nationality, citizenship or legal status, appearance, race, level of education, access to financial resources, and family status. Additionally, intersectional feminist analysis is applied, building on critical migration research examining the impacts of gender on migration experiences.