Migrants in transit through Mexico to the US: Experiences with violence and related factors, 2009-2015

Abstract

Objectives The objectives of the study are to 1) estimate the burden of physical, sexual, and psychological violence among migrants in transit through Mexico to the US; and 2) examine the associations between experiencing violence and sociodemographic characteristics, migratory background, and health status in this vulnerable population. Method A cross-sectional study combining qualitative and quantitative methods was carried out from 2009 to 2015 with a sample of 12,023 migrants in transit through Mexico to the US. Information on gender (male, female, and transsexual, transgender and transvestite -TTTs-); nationality; health status; migratory background; and experiences with violence was obtained. Fifty-eight migrants participated in in-depth interviews to explore any experiences of violence during their journey. A descriptive analysis was performed and a probit regression model was applied to analyze the factors associated with violence. Qualitative information was analyzed to understand experiences, meanings and responses to violence. Results The overall prevalence of suffering from any form of violence was 29.4%. Nearly 24% reported physical violence, 19.5% experienced psychological violence, and approximately 2% reported sexual violence. TTTs experienced a significantly greater burden of violence compared to men and women. Violence occurred more frequently among migrants from Central American (30.6%) and other countries (40.0%) than it did among Mexican migrants (20.5%). Experiences involving sexual, physical and psychological violence as well as theft and even kidnapping were described by interviewees. Migrants mistrust the police, migration authorities, and armed forces, and therefore commonly refrain from revealing their experiences. Conclusion Migrants are subjected to a high level of violence while in transit to the US. Those traveling under irregular migratory conditions are targets of even greater violence, a condition exacerbated by gender inequality. Migrants transiting through Mexico from Central American and other countries undergo violence more frequently than do Mexican migrants. Protective measures are urgently needed to ensure the human rights of these populations.

Sexual violence against migrants and asylum seekers. The experience of the MSF clinic on Lesvos Island, Greece

“…A number of studies have focused on sexual violence in unstable contexts; of those, most were conducted in conflict or post-conflict zones [4,[11][12][13]. A more limited number of studies have focused on sexual violence among people in transit (this includes refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers); often in specific contexts, such as among migrants in transit in South and Central America [14][15][16] and among refugee populations during/following conflict [17,18]. Out of all migration contexts, only a few studies have been published on sexual violence among displaced populations attempting to enter Europe.…”

A Scoping Review of the Experiences of Violence and Abuse Among Sexual and Gender Minority Migrants Across the Migration Trajectory

“…Similarly, another study (Sandfort et al, 2017) examined a subsample of HIV-negative migrants ( n = 62) from a larger sample of 70 men who have sex with men (MSM) migrants, which was used in Ogunbajo et al’s study (2019). Further, the study by Leyva-Flores et al (2016) used a subsample of Central American migrants, which was part of the larger sample in the study by Leyva-Flores et al (2019). Five of the articles in this review focused exclusively on the victimization experiences of transgender Latina migrants (Cerezo et al, 2014; Cheney et al, 2017; Gowin et al, 2017; Prunas et al, 2015; Yamanis et al, 2018).…”

New ways to measure the effects of armed conflict in civilian population

“…As a result of their invisibility, this population has limited or no access to the available care and our understanding of their health needs and risks remains very poor. [7][8][9] The use of traditional research methods requires a degree of security and infrastructure that cannot be guaranteed in conflict settings. Available data are likely to be fraught with bias, missing data points, double counting, and other errors that might ultimately lead to inaccurate conclusions and misplaced or even potentially harmful interventions.…”