Author: Vida Carranza Capote, Immigration and Settlement Studies MA student at Toronto Metropolitan University and Research Assistant with Soli*City
Sanctuary cities have been widely discussed in North America and Europe, but how do Latin American cities approach migrant inclusion and urban solidarity? The Latin American Hub of Soli*City has been conducting extensive fieldwork across Chile, Argentina, and beyond to better understand how local governments and organizations are engaging in urban sanctuary, solidarity, and hospitality practices to accommodate vulnerable migrants and refugees.
We explore how its research aligns with themes of identity, belonging, and immigration, and what lessons can be drawn for building more inclusive urban policies. In this interview, we dive into the Hub’s ongoing research with Dr. Carolina Stefoni, a co-applicant on the Soli*City Partnership and a member of the Latin America hub.
Q: Could you give us an overview of the current projects the Latin American Hub is working on?
A: We’ve been conducting fieldwork in Santiago de Chile, focusing on different municipalities in the north and central areas. Several factors come into play regarding social coexistence. Chile does not have a formal concept of sanctuary cities, but there have been some interesting and valuable initiatives at the local government level.
We’ve been conducting qualitative interviews, which have been incredibly enriching. We’ve spoken with local governments, social organizations, and representatives from the Ministry of the Interior, who manage social programs for the migrant population at the territorial level. We’ve collected over 40 interviews, all of which have been transcribed and are currently in the coding process, which we hope to complete by March.
We’ve been conducting qualitative interviews, which have been incredibly enriching. We’ve spoken with local governments, social organizations, and representatives from the Ministry of the Interior, who manage social programs for the migrant population at the territorial level. We’ve collected over 40 interviews…
– Dr. Stefoni
At the same time, we’re collaborating with a team from FLACSO Argentina. It’s been a fascinating partnership because we’re working together and using the same interview framework in Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and parts of Mendoza. In Argentina, we also gathered interviews with the same key actors: local governments, social organizations, and international organizations. These have already been transcribed, and we’re coding them using the same system, allowing us to make solid comparisons between the two countries.
Additionally, we’ve established contact with researchers in the Dominican Republic to begin working there in 2025. We plan to start after the summer break. In Brazil, we’ve also connected with a team studying sanctuary cities, and a PhD student will be traveling to Santiago to collaborate with us. The idea is that, through these connections, we can also conduct interviews in Brazil.
Q: How does the Hub’s research align with themes like identity, belonging, and immigration?
A: We’re working with migrant populations, but so far, we haven’t conducted direct interviews with migrants themselves. Instead, we’ve focused on speaking with organizations and local governments that work with these communities.
Since we don’t yet have concrete results, I can’t say for sure how issues of identity are being addressed at the local level. However, one of our key research questions is whether local governments are incorporating an intercultural perspective into their governance.
My impression is that many municipalities have specific offices dedicated to migrant affairs. These offices aim to respond to migrants’ needs, but there’s also an effort to integrate migration-related issues into broader municipal services. This creates a tension between two approaches: one that specifically addresses the needs of migrants and another that seeks to include them in general programs for the entire population.
Q: Are you focusing on specific groups within sanctuary cities, or is your approach more general?
A: Our approach varies depending on the specific territories. In Chile’s Metropolitan Region, we selected municipalities like Recoleta, which has historically received many migrants. There, we analyze the programs implemented by the local government to support this population.
We’re also studying Iquique, a key municipality in the north of the country, to examine what policies and actions are being implemented there. So, while we maintain a broad perspective on migration policies, our work zooms in on local governments to understand what is being done on the ground in these specific territories.
Q: How does the Hub’s research contribute to Soli*City’s broader mission of building sanctuary cities and urban policies?
A: We are still in a diagnostic phase, trying to understand where the situation is heading in Latin America. In Chile, for example, we’ve identified a lack of understanding about the concept of solidarity cities and how to incorporate migration at an urban level.
While Argentina and Brazil have slightly different contexts, overall, Latin American cities are still far from having structured policies for migrant inclusion. That’s why our work will be valuable in identifying what challenges have been addressed, which remain unresolved, and what strategies could be implemented in different Latin American contexts—considering that they are quite different from those in Europe, North America, or Canada.
Latin American cities are still far from having structured policies for migrant inclusion. That’s why our work will be valuable in identifying what challenges have been addressed, which remain unresolved, and what strategies could be implemented in different Latin American contexts…
– Dr. Stefoni
Q: In what ways do you think your work could contribute to community-based solutions and sanctuary city policies?
A: Latin American cities have very different dynamics compared to those in the Global North. A key factor is informality—both in the economy and in housing solutions. Rather than proposing immediate solutions, our goal is to critically examine the current approaches. The reality is that when economies are highly informal, and there’s significant job and housing insecurity, thinking about sanctuary cities requires different strategies.
On the other hand, grassroots solidarity initiatives deserve more attention—not necessarily focused on migrants but on local populations living in precarious conditions. For example, in Chile and other Latin American cities, initiatives like community kitchens became widespread during the pandemic. People come together to cook collectively, each contributing what they can, and many people are fed as a result.
There are also childcare support networks and the work of religious organizations, which have historically assisted vulnerable communities. These initiatives have traditionally targeted low-income local populations, but the key question is: How do we incorporate migrant diversity into these existing networks of solidarity?
How do we incorporate migrant diversity into these existing networks of solidarity?
– Dr. Stefoni
What I want to emphasize is that expressions of solidarity already exist in Latin America. The challenge now is figuring out how to integrate them into increasingly diverse communities. That’s a crucial topic for future discussions.
The Latin American Hub’s ongoing research is shedding light on the complexities of sanctuary cities in Latin America, uncovering both the challenges, opportunities, and creative solutions happening on the ground. Next up? Knowledge mobilization— Getting these insights into the hands of policymakers, community leaders, and advocates who can turn them into action. With plans to expand their work to the Dominican Republic and Brazil, they aim to deepen the conversation on solidarity and integration in diverse urban contexts and envision what inclusive cities can look like.