Migrant Journeys Interrupted: Challenges of “Permanent Transience” in Tijuana, Mexico

The Carnegie sub-project on Transit Migration and Deportation in the Americas held a workshop, Migrant Journeys Interrupted: Challenges of “Permanent Transience” in Tijuana, Mexico, on May 20, 2017. The workshop is part of our Carnegie grant to “bridge the gap” between academics and policymakers on the issue of migration. The Tijuana workshop focused on cities in Mexico that are grappling with flows of IDPs, third-country migrants and refugees, and Mexicans deported from the United States.

The workshop brought together practitioners from the Mexican government (local, state, and federal) and civil society groups from the Tijuana/San Diego border region to share perspectives and generate innovative proposals for improving the lives of both migrants and host communities. The workshop held moderated discussion sessions with a range of policymakers and practitioners who noted that they almost never found themselves in the same rooms together to discuss mutual problems. The workshop provided a forum for interaction and networking, as well as identifying possible solutions and ways forward, including further meetings between Mexican policymakers and practitioners.