Reynolds Christopher W, Tucker Brendon, Bishop Samuel, Draugelis Sarah, Heisler Michele, Mohareb Amir M
Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Medicine, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Global Response Medicine, 7959 N Thornydale Rd, Tucson, AZ 85741, USA.
J Migr Health. 2024 Aug 8;10:100265. doi: 10.1016/j.jmh.2024.100265. eCollection 2024.
The number of migrants at the Mexico-US border has increased to historic levels, and frequently changing immigration policy impacts this population as they await entry into the US. This study evaluated the usability and health effects of the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) One™ mobile application among asylum seekers near the US port of entry in Reynosa, Mexico.
We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 20 asylum seekers in Reynosa, Mexico, in February 2023. Our objective was to explore the subjective experiences of migrants, usability of CBP One™, and presence of perceived health effects from using the application. Interviews were conducted until saturation occurred, transcribed verbatim into Word, coded in NVivo using a validated, team-based coding methodology, and analyzed according to internal domains, external domains, and health effects regarding CBP One™.
Twenty participants originated from eight countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. In total, 18 subthemes were identified among internal, external, and effects domains. Internal themes included a confusing application interface (80%), technical malfunction (60%), and perceived racial bias from the photo-capture features (15%). External themes challenging CBP One™ use included unavailable appointment slots (80%), inequity and inaccessibility (35%), and inadequate internet (25%). Most perceived effects were negative (85%), including worsening mental health effects (40%), exacerbation of pre-existing physical conditions (35%), and forgoing health expenditures to pay for internet (25%).
Our findings suggest that asylum seekers at the Reynosa port of entry perceive CBP One™ negatively, with detrimental effects towards their mental and physical health. This study highlights how immigration policy can influence health and suggests that more creative and humane approaches are needed for people seeking asylum at the Mexico-US border.
墨西哥与美国边境的移民数量已增至历史最高水平，不断变化的移民政策在这些人等待进入美国期间对其产生影响。本研究评估了海关与边境保护局（CBP）One™移动应用程序在墨西哥雷诺萨市美国入境口岸附近寻求庇护者中的可用性及对健康的影响。
2023年2月，我们对墨西哥雷诺萨市的20名寻求庇护者进行了半结构化定性访谈。我们的目的是探讨移民的主观体验、CBP One™的可用性以及使用该应用程序所感知到的健康影响。访谈持续进行直至饱和，逐字转录到Word文档中，在NVivo中使用经过验证的基于团队的编码方法进行编码，并根据与CBP One™相关的内部领域、外部领域和健康影响进行分析。
20名参与者来自拉丁美洲和加勒比地区的8个国家。在内部、外部和影响领域共确定了18个次主题。内部主题包括应用程序界面混乱（80%）、技术故障（60%）以及从拍照功能中感知到的种族偏见（15%）。挑战CBP One™使用的外部主题包括没有可用的预约时段（80%）、不公平和无法使用（35%）以及网络不足（25%）。大多数感知到的影响是负面的（85%），包括心理健康状况恶化（40%）、原有身体状况加重（35%）以及为支付网络费用而放弃医疗支出（25%）。
我们的研究结果表明，雷诺萨入境口岸的寻求庇护者对CBP One™持负面看法，对他们的身心健康产生不利影响。本研究凸显了移民政策如何影响健康，并表明在墨西哥与美国边境寻求庇护的人群需要更具创造性和人道的方法。
