Migrant Journey Maps
Open Access DepositedA Methodological Tool to Analyze Aspirations, Capabilities and Risks of Asylum Seekers Crossing the US-Mexico Border
Since 2021 there has been an expansion of asylum seeking along the US-Mexico border from a growing diversity of countries but especially from Venezuela and Haiti. This thesis is based on two years of field research (2022-2025) in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in which 154 migrants were interviewed along with various service providers and officials. Methodologically, it develops a process for creating migrant journey maps based on in-depth interviews and place-specific journey details using ArcGIS Survey123 as well as interview transcripts. Theoretically, the work applies the aspirations and capabilities framework as proposed by sociologist and geographer Hein de Haas (2021) but adding to it the risks (extortion, kidnapping, hunger, and violence) that migrants and their families are subjected to on these journeys. Many of the risks involved are a result of migration deterrence policies created by the US and Mexico as well as the growing involvement of cartels in human smuggling and extortion. Leveraging the interview data, we were able to identify the particularly risky locations, areas for delay, the importance of the CBP One app, and the distinct pathways taken by different country groups seeking to enter the US. While places such as the Darién Gap garner much media attention, migrants consistently reported that Mexico was the country where they encountered the most insecurity, extortion and risk.
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