Dealing with the vertical border: migration strategies of Hondurans in transit through Mexico

Abstract

This paper analyzes the strategies implemented by the Honduran migrants in transit through Mexico to deal with the checkpoints deployed by Mexican authorities and the presence of criminals dedicated to the exploitation of migrants. These vicissitudes within the territory, called ' vertical border ', lead migrants to constantly reconfigure their migratory exercise. To analyze these strategies, and how they appear, fieldwork was conducted in Saltillo, Coahuila, where semi-structured interviews were applied. In another approach, to understand the composition of the Mexican vertical border, SEGOB administrative records and data from the survey about Assault and Abuse to Migrants, were used.

Keywords
international migration; Mexican immigration politics; Hondurans; transit migration; vertical border