Columbia University undergraduate student Astrid Liden is currently in Chile conducting field research for her thesis. Liden, who is double majoring in Latin American & Caribbean Studies and Political Science, will spend two months in the country focused on understanding the intersection of Chile's migration policy and the experiences of Venezuelan migrant families.
“Chile is one of the top recipients of Venezuelan migrants in the region and has responded with more restrictive migration policies, most recently through the 2022 Ley de Migración y Extranjería,” Liden explains. "My research aims to delve into the interaction between the state and families concerning migration policy, examining how the state either facilitates or hinders family migration and reunification.”
During her stay in Chile, Liden will conduct interviews with Venezuelan migrants, representatives from NGOs working with migrants, and government officials from the Ministry of Social Development and Family, who work directly with migrants and family migration policy. Her goal is to uncover how personal and family relationships motivate both forced migration and national integration.
Liden, a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Research Fellow, has previously worked with the Institute of Latin American Studies (ILAS) at Columbia and interned at the Jesuit Service for Migrants (SJM) in Chile, facilitated by the Santiago Center. She is specializing in human rights and migration, with aspirations of pursuing a career focused on the Venezuelan migration crisis in Latin America.
