No Way Out: Migrants & Refugees Trapped in Mexico (2020)

Animation for Doctors Without Borders. I filmed using top-down shooting setup, paper puppet, watercolor, and Dragonframe software.

Imagine what it’s like for people fleeing violence in Central America who are looking for a safe place to call home. People apply for asylum in the U.S. only to be turned away. Under the so-called U.S. Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), they get no protection at all. The U.S. is sending these vulnerable people back to extremely dangerous places in Mexico and Central America. Artist Carrie Hawks paints a picture of life under threat from all sides, as individuals are at risk of gang violence, detention, and deportation. Many of them also suffer from physical injuries and psychological trauma. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams have treated thousands of people along the migration route through Central America and Mexico. The medical evidence points to high levels of violence and ill treatment suffered by migrants and refugees in their home countries, along the migration route, and in the custody of U.S. and Mexican authorities. We've seen first-hand how the MPP traps people in danger. It's time to end MPP now. #EndMPP