The use of free time among forced immigrant students: notes on the internationalization of brazilian higher education

Abstract

This article proposes to discuss the conceptual proximities and distances among three categories of students, namely: international, foreign, and immigrant students, drawing on the empirical experience of receiving forced immigrants at two Brazilian public higher education institutions. This is an exploratory, qualitative, cross-sectional study based on content shared in two focus groups composed of refugee students and holders of humanitarian visas, comprising 23 students aged between 20 and 39 years (61% women; 39% men), from African countries and Central and South America. Data were analyzed using the IRaMuTeQ software through content analysis, yielding four classes: 1) free time as something ambivalent; 2) coping strategies; 3) cultural contrasts; and 4) freedom and pressure. Although the term international is broadly used to refer to all students who arrive in a given country to pursue their studies, whether partially or entirely, it is apparent that South-South migrations carry specificities that place these students in particular contexts, giving rise to distinctive experiences shaped by cultural and intersectionality-related issues. The results point to the use of free time in a clear articulation between academic training and work, leading to a reduction in rest and leisure time, while also highlighting the challenges of this educational process within the specific context of forced migration. In these terms, the article discusses the notion of internationalization – which privileges language learning and intercultural experiences – here permeated by contradictions and by the creation of alternatives to overcome barriers.