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Stories of Migration

News

Humanitarian Crisis

Adrian and Yessica hold their daughter Fabiana, 6, as she crosses from one wagon to the next. The family of five got separated by mistake and took different trains. Yessica had no money, food nor phone. For a full month, they were unable to be reunited. (Oscar Castillo for Direct Relief)
By Noah Smith

STORIES OF MIGRATION

Noah Smith

This series of photo essays by photojournalist Oscar B. Castillo was taken across the Americas, documenting the physical and emotional landscapes of migration and highlighting key waypoints on the journey from the Venezuela-Colombia border to New York City. Each location offers a unique window into the challenges migrants face, particularly concerning healthcare access, and the resilience required to reach their destination.

AN INTERACTIVE JOURNEY

Millions of people have made the journey from South and Central America to the United States. Here is what that perilous journey looks like, and why it doesn’t end when they arrive at the U.S. border.

Click on the map to view their journeys

THE PATH NORTH

In Arauca, Colombia, the photo essays depict the journey’s beginning, where migrants often face limited access to healthcare amidst the backdrop of economic hardships and social disparities.

A group of Venezuelan migrants help a farmer take out his motorcycle trapped in the mud on the road connecting Arauca and Tame in Colombia. (Photo by Oscar Castillo for Direct Relief)

Mexico City plays a vital role as a transit hub, where healthcare disparities become especially evident as migrants move through its complex urban landscape, often unsure of when they will receive permission to enter the U.S.

A young migrant girl plays at the Rafael Arcangel shelter in Itzpalapa, Mexico City. The center had to stop accepting people because it was constantly at capacity. Despite the struggle to assist the many people in need, the center provides a safe space with food and health care. They also offer behavioral health care, a very needed service in a journey full of stress, risks, and extreme situations for people of all ages and conditions. (Photo by Oscar Castillo for Direct Relief)

Moving northward to the U.S.-Mexico border, El Paso and Juarez represent critical junctures in the migration route, emphasizing the precarious health conditions migrants endure. In Juarez, the essay portrays the intersection of healthcare and humanitarian crises, where migrants face heightened vulnerabilities exacerbated by limited healthcare infrastructure and safety concerns. In El Paso, the essay captures the first days of migrants’ experience in the United States as they seek medical care and a measure of stability amidst systemic barriers.

Around midnight and at freezing temperatures, migrants from many different nationalities wait at a section of the wall dividing Ciudad Juarez in Mexico and El Paso in the U.S. to turn themselves to border authorities and start the process to regularize their migrant status in the U.S. (Photo by Oscar Castillo for Direct Relief)

Finally, in New York City, the photo essays reflect the culmination of the migration journey for many. Here, migrants encounter a diverse array of healthcare services yet continue to grapple with a strained safety net system and adverse socioeconomic conditions. The essays from New York City underscore the resilience and contributions of migrant populations while highlighting ongoing efforts to promote accessible healthcare policies and practices.

READ MORE

Healing At The Colombian Border

Over 5,400 Venezuelans are currently living in the town of Arauquita, which also sees Venezuelans cross the border temporarily, just to receive medical care.

Migrants Work to Survive in North America’s Largest City

Living in Wait: Migrants Work to Survive in North America’s Largest City

Everything For The American Dream

The hope of better living conditions, and to let the imagination fly towards the American Dream.

A Mom’s Epic Journey To Save Her Daughter

Jungle, Thieves, and Worse: A Mom’s Epic Journey to Save Her

Searching for a New Life After the Long Journey North

Recently-arrived families who traveled from southern Colombia to Texas before arriving in New York acclimate to life in the city with the help of a local community health center.

SELECTED PHOTOS

SELECTED CLINICS DIRECT RELIEF SUPPORTS

Direct Relief supports thousands of clinics across the Americas and around the world. The following clinics are a few of those located along the migration routes highlighted in these photo essays:

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Oscar B. Castillo is a Venezuelan documentary photographer, multimedia artist, and educator focusing on stories about sociopolitical fractures, race and identity, the cycle of violence and the construction of criminal networks, and initiatives for pacification and inclusion mostly for the youth from underprivileged communities.

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