Waiting in the face of slowed mobility trajectories: Reflections from Mexico’s southern border

Abstract

The worsening of economic, political, social, and environmental problems in many countries of what is commonly referred to as the Global South has, over the past decades, led not only to an increase in the number of migrants crossing the Central America–United States corridor, but also to a diversification of the forms and dynamics of mobility, as well as of the profiles of migrant populations. The lengthening of waiting periods to obtain refugee status or other migration documents, the growing dangers along the routes, and the strengthening of containment measures throughout the corridor have become barriers preventing thousands of people from reaching their destination directly and safely. As a result, while transit journeys toward the United States are increasingly extended and slowed due to prolonged waiting times at various points along the route, the possibility of returning is rare given the unfavorable structural and local conditions in the places of origin.