Abstract
Based on an investigation of the administration of refugees in the city of São Paulo between 2015 and 2019, this article discusses the administration of time and waiting by the National Committee for Refugees (CONARE), the state apparatus responsible for judging refugee requests addressed to the Brazilian government. I analyze different solutions implemented to respond to crises and keep the "public machinery" running "efficiently". I shine a light on administrative activities, and procedures for attending to asylum seekers and granting eligibility with which CONARE carried out its ordinary duties; referred and delegated; provided responses and justifications for delays in each stage of the processes; and resolved cases. These resolutions led to decisions but could also mean not deciding, postponing a particular process indefinitely.
Keywords:
public administration; refugees; crises; efficiency; anthropology of the state