A Kyrgyz migrant, Asan Bagyshev, sharing a story of their struggles in Mexican city of Tijuana on their way to the US. Screenshot from Azattyk YouTube channel. Fair use. On September 4, the Kyrgyz branch of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Azattyk released a documentary about Central Asians’ migration to the US through Latin American countries. In the summer of 2023, a team of journalists traveled to Mexico and the US to follow a group of people from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan and explore their along and dangerous journey to fulfilling their dreams in the US. The documentary explains why people decide to move from their home countries, what routes they take, and what difficulties and dangers they face during their travels. There is no accurate data on how many Central Asians have left to the US, but it is clear that their number is inreasing rapidly. Here is the documentary about Central Asian migrating to the US via Latin America. Central Asians started traveling through Latin America to the US four or five years ago. Their numbers have steadily grown since then, and have increased significantly since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russia is home to several millions of migrants workers from Central Asia, many of whom acquire Russian citizenship to bypass bureaucracy and discrimination. Since the start of the war, Russian authorities have recruited Central Asians for the war. Due to the war, many Russians have sought asylum in Europe and the US, citing the threat of military mobilization and other forms of political repression. Those who went to the US through Mexico documented their journeys on their social media accounts in great detail. Central Asians with Russian passports followed, seeking refugee status in the US. In the documentary, an unnamed Kyrgyz migrant in Chicago shared how he got to the US as a refugee. Previously, he had a Russian passport and lived in Moscow. A strong case file is not the only thing that Russian citizenship provides to Central Asians. Russia and Mexico have a visa-free regime, meaning those with a Russian passport can fly directly to Mexico, without the need to use third countries for entry. This logistical and financial ease bestowed by a Russian passport has increased demand for one among Central Asians. The journalists contacted a person in Istanbul who promised to provide a fake Russian passport for USD 3,000. Mexican authorities are aware of this scheme as they have deported several Uzbekistanis who tried to enter the country with fake Russian passports. Citizens of the five Central Asian states who do not have Russian passport have longer, more dangerous, and more expensive journeys to the US. They first travel to Istanbul, then to Madrid, and then to Bogota (Colombia), Panama, or Managua (Nicaragua), where they can enter without a visa. The next p hase of their journey continues by foot, boats, and cars and involves being smuggled across Honduras and Guatemala to the Mexican city of Tapachula. Among the dangers of traveling this route are being robbed or taken hostage by cartels in transit countries, being attacked by wild animals, and drowning in the Caribbean Sea. A Kazakh migrant in the documentary shared a sad story of a Kyrgyz family of three who all drowned at night, while crossing the sea. A Kyrgyz migrant named Damir shared his story of being held hostage by the cartel for one day. He was released after his friends paid USD 1,000 ransom for him. His advice to those who want to travel to the US like him is: “Think twice.” A similar sentiment was voiced by a 70-year old Uzbek migrant Rakhim Babajanov, who has been living in the Mexican town of Reynosa for several months. Out of money and with nowhere to live, trying not to cry, he said: “If I knew what awaited me on the road, I would not have come if they gave me gold.” Once in Mexico, Central Asian migrants have two options. The first one involves registering in the CBP1 mobile application and waiting for their appointment at one of the check points on the US–Mexico border. The application is used by those who wish to arrive in the US as refugees. The waiting period can take several months. Several migrants from Uzbekistan, waiting for their appointment in Reynosa near the US border, could not hold back their tears when they met the journalists and complained about being in despair after running out of their money and living on the street. The second option involves crossing the border with the help of coyotes, individuals who help migrants enter the US illegally. Although more risky, this option is still popular among Central Asians, given the ambiguity and long waiting period associated with receiving refugee status.