The Vertical Border

Millions worldwide are being uprooted from their homes and communities; Central Americans are fleeing economic precarity and climate disaster, as well as state and criminal violence. Most head towards Mexico and the United States, in search of a liveable life.

What happens when these forced migrants demand dignity and rights? How does the USA externalise its borders in an attempt to stop desperate migrants reaching its territory? How does Mexico cope with being a buffer state where displaced populations are trapped in inhospitable limbo?

Insightful interviews with journalists, aid workers and academics across El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico and the USA delve into history and expose the current crisis, covering topics such as gangs, corruption, militarisation, exploitation, neoliberalism, the Global South versus North, and the nature of our bordered world.