This article analyzes the impact of organized crime in the contexts of flight, persecution, and lengthy wait of Mexican and Central American migrants in Tijuana. Fifteen structured interviews and twenty-nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with migrants requiring international protection at a government shelter. The findings indicate that exit factors related to criminal and gender-based violence increase the risk of assaults, exploitation, and human rights violations during movement and prolonged waiting at the border. Moreover, the study reveals the effects of multi-scalar violence—including criminal, institutional, and gender dimensions—on entrapment in hopes of asylum. The research contributes to advancing the relational understanding of criminal violence and forced mobility, while its originality lies in explaining the continuum of violence during forced displacement.
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