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Migrants and Refugees in Mexico shelters

Central American migration

Until recently, an estimated 500,000 people fled extreme violence and poverty every year in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, heading north through Mexico to find safety.

In the past two years, our teams have witnessed an expansion of the migratory route to incorporate hundreds of thousands of people who have traversed the dangerous Darién Gap - the tropical forest that acts as a natural border between Colombia and Panama. They then travel through Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and the whole Central American region, with the aim to reach Mexico and the US.

Migrants in the region face multiple constraints in accessing basic goods, humanitarian, medical assistance and protection, as well as administrative barriers that make the journey even more difficult. In addition, many experience various forms of violence along the route.  

MSF provides medical-humanitarian care to those who need it most, regardless of their nationality or legal status, in different countries and locations from Panama to the northern border of Mexico. 

 
San Vicente migration centre
Central American migration

Emergency healthcare and protection needed as more people cross to Panama

Press Release 19 May 2022
Migration in the Americas

Neither dangers nor policies deter migrants making their way to the US

The number of people migrating north through Central America continue to grow despite restrictive policies, dangers en route and violence. MSF teams are working across the region to provide care to people.

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12 November 2018