The Perilous Journey for Central American Migrants Traveling to the US

Authors: Les Armstrong, Allison Bell, and Lan Ha

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In this webpage, we highlight the often violent journey that irregular Central American migrants take to reach the US. We analyze data from a survey conducted by the World Food Programme (WFP) in 2019 and then compare it to news reporting. This approach helps us understand the data's strenghts and limitations and prompt viewers to think critically about the survey's findings.

The data was collected from approximately 5,000 household interviews and over 6,000 web survey responses across three Central American countries: Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. This survey was conducted as part of a joint initiative between WFP and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to better understand the factors in migration.

It is key to remember that this survey was conducted on migrants after their journey which means that the data is likely subject to survival bias.

Irregular migrants experience violence at an alarmingly high rate

According to the survey, about 1 in 4 of the irregular migrants surveyed suffered some form of violence during their journey.
Here "irregular" migration refers to migration not following regular migration pathways such as through the use of visas, foreign residence permits, or those seeking asylum.

Migrants reporting violence

Rate of reported violence: 25.38%

Hover over icons to see more detail on the types of violence individuals in this dataset experienced.

Female migrants in the data were less likely to report violence.

Female migrants

Rate of reported violence: 20.24%

All others

Rate of reported violence: 27.23%

“Me and some other women with our children were offered a ride by two young men, but it was a trap. They took us to the fields and pulled out a gun. Thank god we were able to fight back against them, but many other women are not as lucky” - Pilar, El Salvador (February 2020) 1

People migrating because of deterioration of livelihoods due to natural hazards (floods, droughts, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, plagues, etc.) were more likely to experience violence than those migrating for other reasons.

Migrants motivated by deteriorating livelihoods from natural hazards

Rate of reported violence: 41.94%

All others

Rate of reported violence: 24.96%

“ We are doomed here. The desperation, the sadness, that's what makes you migrate." - Magdalena Flores (Honduras 2020) 3

“ I never wanted to do this.” - Said Ana Hernández, clutching her 11-year-old's hand at a gas station - “The situation is forcing me to. You get to a point where you don't have anything to give them to eat.” (Honduras 2020)1

Migrants traveling alone had higher rates of reported violence.

Migrants traveling alone

Rate of reported violence: 33.91%

All others

Rate of reported violence: 23.43%

Migrants traveling in a caravan reported higher rates of violence than migrants traveling with a coyote or through their own method.

Migrants traveling in a caravan

Rate of reported violence: 57.89%

All others

Rate of reported violence: 24.36%

“ I joined the caravan because they said everything would be fine, that we would pass through to the north without problems. They said that together in the caravan we would protect ourselves from the crime in Mexico, that we would share many things, from the idea of reaching the north to being well united.” - Andrea (September 2019)1

“ It hasn't been easy to come in the caravan because everything is difficult. Contrary to what I thought, there aren't many facilities, and it takes a lot of effort to come in the caravan. You have to walk a lot, rest little, and even when you rest, you're always taking care of yourself. There's a lack of trust with those you come with because not everyone knows each other. There are many problems, and the journey in the caravan is not safe.” - Alicia (September 2019)1

“ In the end, there were so many of us, it was scary. When my wife went to the bathroom, someone touched her inappropriately, but she didn't tell me out of fear until the next day. There was nothing I could do.” - Rodrigo (2020) 1

Step 1: Filter by violence type

Step 2: Choose comparator

Any incident of violence x Motivation to migrate

60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% Rate of reported violenceNatural hazards, livelihood impactAdventure tourismNatural hazard, direct impactLack of safetyUnemploymentFor healthSearch for better workTo send remittancesLack of money for basic needsOtherLack of money for foodFor studyFamily reunificationLoss of landDomestic violence

On this website, we highlight the insights related to external migration mobility collected by the joint initiative between WFP and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

On this website, we highlight the insights related to external migration mobility collected by the joint initiative between WFP and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Our main goal is to shed light on the most vulnerable forms of migration. We believe that this topic is of particular relevance today as Title 42, which was put in place by the Trump administration during the COVID pandemic and has been used to expel migrants from the United States without due process, is set to expire5.

Furthermore, we hope to inform potential future migrants about the risks they may face so they can make more informed decisions. We also hope to provide a resource for journalists and researchers who are interested in this topic.

We showcase the strengths and weaknesses of the dataset by comparing it to other qualitative and quantitative work in this area. Overall, we try to bring attention to weaknesses and biases in the data, particularly when it comes to violence against women where the data and the reporting diverge significantly. We believe that contextualizing the data is critical to better capture the stories of these migrants.

If you are moved by these data points and stories, we urge you to contact your representatives and ask them to support policies that protect these migrants.

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our deepest appreciation to all those who provided us the possibility to complete this project. We would particularly give to thanks the World Food Program staff, who shared this important and sensitive data with us.

Furthermore, we would also like to acknowledge with much appreciation the crucial role that the faculty and TA staff who supported us throughout the project and the semester.

References

  1. Simón Pedro Izcara Palacios & Karla Lorena Andrade Rubio. (2022). Migración y violencia: las caravanas de migrantes centroamericanos. Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Victoria, México. 1

  2. Fleeing to Mexico for Safety: The Perilous Journey for Migrant Women. United Nations University. 2

  3. "We Are Doomed": Devastation From Storms Fuels Migration in Honduras (2021). NYTimes - By Natalie Kitroeff. 3

  4. "We're defeated": Climate migrants fleeing storm-stricken Central America struggle to find refuge (2021). NBC News - By Albinson Linares, Noticias Telemundo 4

  5. Weekly U.S.-Mexico Border Update: Title 42 Ends (May 2023). Advocacy for Human Rights in the Americas - By Adam Isacson 1