Migration into Mexico



Mexico's southern border

The February 2008 edition of National Geographic features awe inspiring images of Guatemalan immigrants sleeping on a railways waiting to catch a train through Mexico to the United States. The article is cleverly titled “Mexico’s other border” highlighting the infamy of the perilous Mexico- United States crossing.  For immigrants the journey starts at the  Suchiate river, the southern border between Guatemala and Mexico, from there they hike north east towards Arriaga. The journey of around 200 miles is perilous with around 400,00 migrants passing through Mexico facing many dangers such as kidnap, murder, drug runners and migration officials.

The river crossing is made on wooden rafts for $100 dollars per person, whilst local traders pay $10 for a crossing. This extortion of migrants demonstrates their desperation to cross. Once over the border migrants make there way to Tapachula, an immigrant sanctuary for shelter and food. Tapachula is a city of 270,000 which houses many migration sanctuary's which run on donations in order to care for those who have been worn down or event amputated from falls off freight trains. However to reach Tapachula the migrants must avoid the National institute of immigration, a checkpoint created to detain up to 960 illegal immigrants and whilst processing and deporting them quickly and efficiently.

To avoid deportation migrants face many gangs, know as maras, it is unclear whether they are working as part of  widespread organised crime or just smuggling drugs however they pose a serious threat to migrants who are seen as an easy target since they are often unarmed and carrying plenty of money. around 50% of migrants are female however up to 80% of these migrants end up in the sex trade according to Mexican Senator Maria Elena Orantes, who is in charge of a Mexican human rights group. she also claims that around the border between Guatemala and Mexico, around 100,000 women and some 2,000 girls are forced into prostitution. Criminal organisations such as the Mara Salvatrucha trick pretend to be smugglers and trick them into human trafficking organisations to the USA by promising marriage and employment or scare them by warning of running out of money during the crossing or being kidnapped by traffickers while travelling through Mexico unaccompanied. As the American government attempt to crack down on human trafficking smugglers chose to take more dangerous routes to ensure entry into the USA. As a result the price for migrants increases. According to various estimates, between 80% and 95% of illegal immigrants employ smugglers to assist in crossing the southern border from Mexico to the USA. Despite the high risk of travelling through Mexico to America thousands of people risk their lives in the hope of money and liberty