Central American Asylum Seekers in Southern Mexico: Fluid (Im)mobility in Protracted Migration Trajectories

The search for safety among asylum seekers worldwide is seldom circumscribed to a linear trajectory. Central Americans who arrive in Mexico seeking protection engage in prolonged journeys whether as a part of a predetermined plan or as a result of the changing circumstances they encounter along the way. As people await a response to their claim, they enter a pause that immobilizes them, which influences the decision to stay put or to move on. Difficult conditions in Mexico, the hurdles that the procedure to access asylum imposes on claimants, and the intended plans for ongoing mobility engender fluid migration trajectories.