Transit Migration in the Americas

For additional information, please contact the lead researchers of this study, Karen Jacobsen and Katrina Burgess.

As part of the Migration Crisis and State Fragility work, this research focuses on cities in Mexico that are grappling with intersecting flows of third-country migrants and Mexicans deported from the United States. The project entails mapping the origins, routes, and destinations of these displaced people; engaging local, national, and international stakeholders in dialogue about policy responses in the affected communities; and adapting lessons from existing research and other country experiences in the Mexican context.

On May 20, 2017, the research team sponsored a workshop, “Migrant Journeys Interrupted: Challenges of ‘Permanent Transience’,” in Tijuana, Mexico. The 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. It 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 migrants and host communities. The workshop provided a forum for interaction, networking, and problem-solving for stakeholders who noted that they “had almost never found themselves in the same rooms together to discuss mutual problems.” Research briefs and workshop material are available below.

Publications