TY - THES ID - 150484583 TI - Digital Lifelines. The Role of Digital Technologies in the Lives of Venezuelan Migrants in Medellín AU - Leysen, An AU - Salazar, Noel AU - KU Leuven. Faculteit Sociale Wetenschappen. Opleiding Master in de sociale en culturele antropologie (Leuven) PY - 2025 PB - Leuven KU Leuven. Faculteit Sociale Wetenschappen DB - UniCat UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:150484583 AB - This thesis explores the dual processes of belonging and becoming among Venezuelan migrants in Medellín, Colombia, through the lens of digital technologies. Amid one of the largest yet most neglected displacement crises, digital platforms like WhatsApp, Rappi and UpWork provide tools for economic survival, social connection, and identity reconstruction. Drawing on qualitative ethnographic methods, the research examines from an anthropological viewpoint how these technologies mediate opportunities and constraints for migrants navigating precarious urban and digital landscapes. Findings reveal that while digital tools foster agency and transformation, they also reinforce systemic inequalities, leaving migrants vulnerable to exploitation and exclusion. The tension between belonging and becoming highlights the limitations of digital solutions in addressing structural barriers. The thesis concludes by calling for holistic, inclusive approaches to migration. It also calls for renewed international attention and action. By centring the experiences of Venezuelan migrants, the research contributes to broader anthropological debates on migration, digital inclusion, and the transformative potential of technology within marginalized communities. ER -