Migração forçada: uma análise a partir do processo de subsidência em bairros de Maceió-AL

Abstract

Five neighborhoods in Maceió, starting in 2018, began to experience ground subsidence, and a study conducted by the Geological Survey of Brazil found that mining activities were the cause of the subsidence. In this context, thousands of residents in the affected areas had to abandon their homes, leading to a forced migration within the territory of Maceió. The objective of this thesis is to deepen the discussion on the concept of forced migration, as it takes a prominent position in analyzing the population movement of thousands affected between 2018 and 2023 in the capital of Alagoas. To achieve the purpose of this investigation, a socioeconomic characterization of the former residents was developed using available official data. The spatial redistribution of these former residents into new geographic units was analyzed, the opinions of those directly affected by the forced movement were evaluated, and the opinions of residents of the capital indirectly affected by subsidence were examined. The obtained data indicated that the population displacement occurred heterogeneously across the territory, with groups in socioeconomic vulnerability migrating predominantly to the peripheral neighborhoods of the city. The application of the data collection instrument allowed inference of relevant issues related to forced displacement and the impacts felt by the affected population. Therefore, this work aims to contribute crucially to elucidating various questions surrounding the largest socioenvironmental tragedy in urban areas in Brazil.