Migrants' Journey Through Mexico To the U.S.

Anna Surinyach / MSF

Migrants moving through Central America in hopes of reaching the United States often find themselves extremely vulnerable, subject to robbery, exploitation, and numerous health issues, but with little or no access to medical care. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is therefore providing humanitarian assistance, including mental health support, to migrants at a clinic in Ixtepec, in Mexico's Oaxaca state, and at several spots along the customary route north.

Men boarding rafts along the border between México and Guatemala. This is the beginning of the journey for the Central American migrants trying to make it to the USA. MSF is giving humanitarian assistance to this population in several spots of southern México. Their focus is on mental health as it can be a difficult journey.
Anna Surinyach / MSF
A group of migrants start their trip to cross México and try to make it to the USA. The journey is filled with danger -- they are often victims of violence and deceit as others try to take advantage of their desperate situation.
Anna Surinyach / MSF
The migrants can only bring few belongings on this harrowing journey that can last up to several weeks.
Anna Surinyach / MSF
Two migrants from Honduras near the border between México and Guatemala. They were already deported but now they are giving it another try. Most of the migrants are fleeing violence and poverty in their own countries, so they are willing to risk everything for the journey.
Anna Surinyach / MSF
An 'albergue', or shelter, in Tapachula, one of the first stops for the migrants entering México from the Pacific coast.
Anna Surinyach / MSF
An estimated 91,000 migrants travel through Mexico by train on their way to the USA. They often suffer robberies and sustain injuries on the way. Incidences of kidnapping and rape are not uncommon.
Anna Surinyach / MSF
The most vulnerable -women and children- are often targeted. Violence against migrants crossing Mexico is on the rise. They are at risk of blisters, fevers, and injuries sustained from jumping out of trains, as well as attacks from criminal organizations. MSF is trying to assist them along their journey, such as the medical posts in Ixtepec and Nuevo Laredo.
Anna Surinyach / MSF
Central American migrants in an 'albergue', or shelter, in México. They are waiting for the cargo train to come and continue their trip to the North.
Anna Surinyach / MSF
Migrants often show signs of stress due to their difficult situation and the hardships of the trip. They don't have much time to enjoy themselves. MSF has made sure to include a strong mental health program to help them cope with their situation.
Anna Surinyach / MSF
MSF is running a clinic in Ixtepec, Oaxaca, and is assisting the migrants in several spots along the route of the migrants. Mental health is a key element of the MSF intervention.
Anna Surinyach / MSF