Key points:
- Honduras has emerged as a key transit country for migrants, with thousands of people entering irregularly from Nicaragua on their journey northward.
- A United Methodist clinic in Danlí embodies a faith-based response, offering medical care, dignity and accompaniment to migrants in extreme vulnerability.
- The clinic is housed in a government-run migrant assistance center.
- A Haitian mother of three said the health clinic and migration center have given her family “peace and hope” on their journey to find a better life.
For Marie Joseph and her family, a migrant assistance center and United Methodist clinic in Danlí provided a respite on a long and arduous journey.
“We arrived very tired,” said Joseph, 32, who asked that her real name not be used in this story. “We were scared and didn’t know what to expect. But here we were welcomed warmly. We were given food and a safe place to stay with my three children for two days.
“They also cared for us at the UMCOR clinic, where we were examined and helped with what we needed,” she said, referring to the health clinic, which is supported by the United Methodist Committee on Relief and the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries’ Global Health program. “It was a great relief because we were so exhausted from the journey.”
Joseph is making her way to the United States with her three children, fleeing the violence in her home country of Haiti, where gangs control large areas. She wants to reunite with family members in the U.S.
“I feel very grateful to everyone here at the clinic and the center,” she said. “When you flee violence and poverty, you don’t know whom to turn to for help. Here we were treated with respect and care, and that gives us hope to continue our journey. My children were able to rest and recover.”
Housed at the government-run Irregular Migrant Assistance Center or CAMI (Centro de Atención al Migrante Irregulares) in Danlí, the church-supported clinic provides free health care to migrants exhausted after crossing Nicaragua or eastern Honduras. The clinic was established by the United Methodist Mission in Honduras, led by Global Ministries and Bishop Rubén Saenz, the mission’s episcopal leader.
CAMI has become a connection point for those continuing on to Guatemala and Mexico. The health clinic offers rapid medical assessments, general care, basic medications and referrals to hospitals when needed, helping migrants continue their journey.
The center’s staff provide guidance to migrants on routes to follow and appropriate behaviors to avoid legal problems upon arriving in Honduras. Migrants are also granted a five-day temporary permit to complete their paperwork before continuing on to Guatemala.
Care guided by Social Principles
Wilmer Vasquez, coordinator of the United Methodist clinic, explained the procedures they have implemented, which allow each patient to receive an individual examination that includes diagnosis, treatment and a physical assessment.
“In situations requiring more specialized care, the patient is removed from the line and treated more thoroughly in the consultation room,” Vasquez said. “This ensures that the mass-care process, which requires a certain speed, is not disrupted by the detailed attention needed for more complex cases.”
Dr. Aurora Martínez, a member of the professional team at the clinic, described the most common ailments they encounter. “We frequently see cases of gastroenteritis, dehydration and various viral infections, which are typical given the hygiene and environmental conditions migrants face along their journey to reach this point.
“Additionally, when local hospitals are overwhelmed, we are called upon to screen patients here, helping prevent overloading the ambulatory population,” she added. This reflects the level of trust the United Methodist clinic has earned with regional health authorities and has brought recognition and gratitude from those who oversee CAMI.
One of the most effective procedures implemented by the United Methodist clinic has been the distribution of medical kits to the groups that regularly arrive at the center. Dr. Silvia Reyes coordinates this process and explained to UM News how the service works.
“The kits we distribute to migrant families consist of a medical package that includes pain relievers, fever medication, antihistamines and anti-inflammatories,” Reyes said. “They also include medicines for vomiting, nausea and stomach discomfort, which are the most common issues migrant families face on their journey.”
Vasquez emphasized that the work is guided by The United Methodist Church’s Social Principles relating to human dignity, care for migrants and health. “Our service philosophy is reflected in maintaining a steady, safe flow of patients without compromising the quality of care,” he said.
For Vasquez, these Social Principles form the theological and ethical foundation of the work carried out by the United Methodist clinic in Danlí. By affirming that every person, regardless of migration status, possesses sacred value and the right to dignified medical care, these principles support a ministry that integrates faith and justice.
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The clinic’s work embodies the United Methodist commitment to respond to human suffering with active compassion, providing healing, accompaniment and tangible hope to those traveling in conditions of extreme vulnerability.
New migration corridors
Although some recent data shows a decline in the immigrant population in the United States, migration has not stopped. The Pew Research Center reported that after reaching a record 53.3 million immigrants in January 2025, the number fell to 51.9 million in June — the first decline since the 1960s. Despite this decrease, migration flows to the United States remain steady and diverse. In recent years, regional transit dynamics have shifted, and new routes have emerged as significant migration corridors across the continent.
Official figures from Honduras’ National Institute of Migration indicate that 369,258 irregular — or unauthorized — migrants entered the country in 2024, with 97.2% crossing through unofficial points along the border with Nicaragua. These figures confirm that the vast majority of migrants used Nicaraguan territory as a transit route in their attempt to journey north.
“The center serves four to six buses daily full of migrants, the majority of whom are Haitians and Cubans, with occasional arrivals from Pakistan, China, Ecuador and Uzbekistan,” said Gustavo Ferrufino, officer at the Migrant Rights Office of the National Institute of Immigration in Honduras.
Ferrufino notes that in early 2025, migrant arrivals had decreased significantly due to changes in U.S. immigration policy under the new administration and the closure of the U.S.-Mexico border. However, transit has been increasing since the second half of last year.
“It may be related to changes in U.S. policy that have temporarily opened pathways or provided legalization for migrants,” he said. “We’ve heard from people passing through that they receive information from missions and diplomatic agencies in their home countries about new admission procedures, while others simply follow new entry routes at the border. They just try and stay in Mexico while waiting for their opportunity to cross.”
Leaving violence for a new life
At the migrant assistance center in Honduras, Marie Joseph shared her journey toward the United States. She lived five years in the Dominican Republic and is now fleeing both the violence in Haiti and the economic and social hardships she faced in the Dominican Republic.
“I am from Haiti. Life there was very difficult; there was violence, and we couldn’t live in peace,” she said. “That’s why we went to the Dominican Republic. I lived there for five years and learned Spanish so I could communicate, but the situation was also hard: unstable work, housing problems, and I felt I couldn’t give my children a secure future. So we decided to try to reach the United States to be with some of our family already living there.”
She described her journey as a long and dangerous one.
“We didn’t come directly from Haiti,” she said. “Many migrants like us first live in or pass through other Latin American countries. In our case, we went from Haiti to the Dominican Republic and then began our journey north. Some migrants travel from countries like Brazil, Chile or Mexico; others take charter flights to countries such as Nicaragua, which has more flexible requirements, and from there cross Central America toward Mexico and the United States.”
Joseph and her family arrived in Honduras from Nicaragua. For them, Honduras is not a final destination but a transit country, where they seek support and rest before continuing their journey.
According to staff members at CAMI and the clinic, many migrants become stranded in Honduras without resources or documentation and rely on the humanitarian support provided.
“I want to sincerely thank everyone who helps us,” Joseph told some of the center’s staff. “Violence and poverty shouldn’t prevent children from having a future. Thanks to you, we have been able to continue our journey with a little more peace and hope.
“It’s a difficult path, but knowing there are places that support migrants gives us strength. I want my children to have a safer life and opportunities to study and grow without fear.
“I am afraid, but I also have hope. I hope to find work, a safe place to live, and that my children can continue their education,” she said. “We want to leave behind violence and insecurity and start a new life.”
Vásquez is coordinator of Hispanic-Latin Relations at United Methodist Communications. For inquiries, contact UM News at 615-742-5470, newsdesk@umnews.org or gvasquez@umcom.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digest.
