Living Our Own Story - Crossing the Darien Gap

Adriana, Jhonny, and their four small children left their home in Venezuela in 2024. The family crossed the Darién Gap jungle, which was far more gruelling and horrific than they had heard, said Jhonny. They continued north through Central America, stopping in Mexico City, where they are currently staying in one of several makeshift migrant camps that have sprung up because the city does not have enough shelters to accommodate all the people who need them. Like many of their neighbours in the camps, the family is applying for asylum in the US.
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) staff visit the camps every day, letting people know how they can get medical and mental health care, including treatment for sexual violence.
Currently, the only way for thousands of people stranded in Mexico to access asylum is by making an appointment with US immigration officials through a mobile app known as CBP One. But migrants say the app is unreliable and confusing, and very few appointments are made available each day.