Criminal Victimization of Central American Migrants in Transit Through Mexico

Abstract

This article examines the factors associated with robbery or assault victimization for Central American migrants in transit through Mexico to the United States. A theoretical model of victimization of transit migrants is developed. Drawing on the Survey on Migration in the Southern Border of Mexico 2018 and 2019, a descriptive and logistic regression analysis is carried out to analyze how migrants’ sociodemographic characteristics and journey characteristics are associated with victimization events. The article shows that migrants who used trains and trucks and who received support from assistance networks (e.g., migrant shelters) had higher relative odds of being robbed or assaulted, whereas migrants who hired coyotes had lower relative odds of being victimized. The findings of this work highlight the usefulness of surveys conducted on migrants after deportation to analyze the victimization that international migrants suffer during their dangerous journeys across borders and territories.