The Policy Making on Venezuelan Migratory Policies in Peru 2017-2022: Processes, Bifurcation Points and Drivers

This study examines Peruvian public policies on Venezuelan migration, identifying factors influencing their formulation and implementation while uncovering their behavioral patterns. Using a qualitative approach based on process tracing and thematic analysis of official documents, media narratives, and statistical data, the research identifies three phases of migration policy: (1) open-door policies, (2) securitization and restriction, and (3) invisibilization and normalization of irregular migration. These phases reveal a disconnect between political rhetoric and practical outcomes, with calculated tolerance for policy non-enforcement and migrant integration delegated to civil society and international organizations. The findings highlight incoherent migration policies marked by legal non-compliance, omission as a strategy, and limited state intervention. These dynamics are driven by advocacy coalitions excluded from decision-making, strained executive-legislative relations, and media-influenced public opinion. The study’s originality lies in its innovative combination of process tracing and thematic analysis to explain policy dynamics in contexts of institutional fragility.