Between Movement and Menace: Migrant Vulnerability, Predatory Crime, and Victimization in Tapachula

Abstract

Specific border environments in the Global South operate as common but dangerous thoroughfares for migrants traveling to resettle in other countries. In the southern Mexican border city of Tapachula, migrants encounter a precarious risk environment where opportunities for their victimization abound due a complex series of state policies, institutional idiosyncrasies, and the proliferation of motivated offenders. This study adopts Routine Activity Theory to understand this perilous security landscape for the migrant population in Tapachula. Our qualitative analysis of thirty-nine semi-structured interviews conducted in this Mexican city revealed that migrants are at high risk of predatory crime and victimization from both institutional and non-state actors in this border zone. Not only do state policies lead to enhanced vulnerability to predatory crime and victimization in this particular environment, but the line between capable guardians and motivated offenders is ostensibly blurred. This paper offers a starting point for highlighting migrant victimization experiences in the Global South and how state policies can shape risk for future groups seeking to restart their lives anew in foreign countries.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Deviant Behavior, 2026 · DOI ↗