The social impact of university extension as an instrument for guaranteeing and providing access to rights for the migrant and refugee population in the municipality of Passo Fundo/RS

Abstract

This article analyzes the work of university extension programs as a necessary and indispensable instrument for guaranteeing and ensuring access to the rights of migrants, asylum seekers, refugees, and holders of humanitarian visas, as carried out by the Migrant and Refugee Help Desk Extension Project at the University of Passo Fundo (UPF). Linked to the Law Course and integrated into the Sérgio Vieira de Mello Chair of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the project has been operating since 2020 in partnership with public bodies and international organizations, providing support and document processing to thousands of migrants in the northern region of Rio Grande do Sul. The study seeks to demonstrate the social impact of university extension practices and their contribution to mitigating vulnerabilities and overcoming structural barriers to accessing public services, from a legal, social, and political perspective. The approach method is deductive, exploratory and descriptive in nature, and the procedure is documentary and bibliographic. The discussion articulates the concepts of human rights, human development, and vulnerability, demonstrating that university extension programs act as a bridge between formal law and the material effectiveness of human dignity.