The return through Mexico: a modality of contemporary irregular Dominican emigration across the U.S.-Mexico border

In the past five years, the migration route to the United States via the Mexico-U.S. border-colloquially referred to as la vuelta por México [the way through Mexico]-has gained significant popularity among Dominican migrants. This article examines the organizational structure and operational dynamics of the groups facilitating the smuggling of Dominican migrants along this route and describes the experiences of Dominican migrants in the journey. The study proposes the concept of smuggling clusters as a theoretical framework. The data includes five months of transnational ethnographic research in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, twelve in-depth and life-history interviews, descriptive statistics, and GIS analysis. The article presents two typical cases, exposing them as microstories, an expository device consistent with the biographical-narrative methodological approach. The central finding reveals the organization of migrant smuggling groups in this region as clusters of subnational organizations, transnationally articulated through decentralized networks. Particularly noteworthy is the commercial and mercantile logic underpinning the phenomenon, which is reflected in the decentralized operations of the organizations, their market-driven approach, and the diverse financing mechanisms. The study further highlights how relationships between smugglers and migrants are mediated by contractuality, (dis)trust, deception, and subjugation. From an academic standpoint, this research offers a multidimensional and complex view on contemporary irregular Dominican migration and migrant smuggling as a transnational crime. From a public policy perspective, it provides valuable insights that can inform the development of comprehensive strategies for prevention, enforcement, and international cooperation regarding irregular migration and transnational organized crime.

Keywords:
Dominican emigration; migrant smuggling; irregular migration; cluster; biographical-narrative approach; US-Mexico border