FERN | Photographs by Lexie

The majority of people entering Mexico with a view to seeking asylum in North America will pass through Chiapas. Many migrants take up farm work own order to pay their way while they are waiting for permission to travel north through the country. These images were shot as part of an assignment for the Food & Environment Reporting Network in 2022.

Tapachula, Mexico, 10 March 2022, migrants wave passports and papers outside a closed office for the Mexican National Institute for Migration. Many had stood for hours in the hot sun. Occasionally the crowd would surge towards the fence, seemingly trying to bring it down.Tapachula, Mexico, 10 March 2022, migrants wave passports and papers outside a closed office for the Mexican National Institute for Migration. Many had stood for hours in the hot sun. Occasionally the crowd would surge towards the fence, seemingly trying to bring it down.