The Underground Journey: How Migrants Use the Walking Routes to Escape China for the US

Arriving at the United States-Mexico border, exhausted from their journey north, they carry backpacks containing a few spare changes of clothes, whatever money and phones they have left after being robbed along the way. Like the hundreds of thousands of others who have also traveled for weeks to reach the US, they are driven by a desperate desire to escape and start a new life, despite the uncertainty of what awaits them on the other side.

The migrants are escaping from the world's second-largest economy and an emerging superpower. On a recent winter day, numerous Chinese nationals were seen waiting in various makeshift camps located outside San Diego, California, just north of the Mexican border.

A group of Chinese migrants gathered at a temporary camp near the US-Mexican border after illegally crossing into the US.

Evelio Contreras/CNN

Clad in hoodies and jackets, they gathered around fires, anxiously awaiting the arrival of US border control agents who would escort them for processing. They clung to hope that this would mark the beginning of their new lives in America.

The recent increase in arrivals from China crossing illegally into the US from Mexico is part of a notable new pattern. Government data reveals that in the first 11 months of 2023, over 31,000 Chinese citizens were apprehended by law enforcement, a significant surge compared to an average of around 1,500 per year over the previous decade.

While their numbers are still relatively small compared to individuals from neighboring countries like Mexico, Venezuela, and Guatemala, the influx of Chinese migrants highlights the growing desperation of many to leave their homeland, despite leader Xi Jinping's assertion of a "national rejuvenation."

After three years of Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions, many in China are struggling to survive. People are out of work and feeling disillusioned with the ruling Communist Party's increasing control over all aspects of life under Xi. Despite hopes that the economy would fully rebound after restrictions ended a year ago, China's once thriving economic growth has faltered.

The restrictions on personal life in China, overseen by Xi, have led to a sweeping crackdown on free speech, civil society, and religion in the country of 1.4 billion. When asked what had led him there, one neatly dressed middle-aged man simply said, "We are Christians," referring to a bare encampment thousands of miles from home.

Chinese nationals, along with migrants from various countries, have been contributing to the overwhelming numbers of illegal crossings at the southwestern US border in recent months. Many of them are seeking asylum, but upcoming changes to immigration policy may narrow their path. According to a recent analysis of border encounters, individuals from China are on track to become the fastest-growing group of crossers.

The gateway

has seen an increase in the number of escaping individuals, leading to the expansion of businesses and social media accounts that cater to Chinese migrants. These migrants often have to take a long and indirect route across continents before embarking on the challenging overland journey north.

The overland route often starts in Quito, Ecuador, a city situated in the Andean foothills with a population of approximately 2.5 million. It has become a point of departure for many individuals fleeing from China.

In 2022, Ecuador recorded approximately 13,000 Chinese nationals entering the country. By the first 11 months of 2023, this number had surged to over 45,000. Chinese passport holders are not required to obtain visas to enter Ecuador.

A network of businesses serves those traveling to the border, offering services such as airport pickups, accommodations at Chinese-owned hostels, and arranging the trip north for a considerable price, according to CNN reporting.

Signs of this increasing trend can be seen throughout Quito, for those who are aware of where to find them.

At a bus station, the ticket agent has a sign printed in Chinese for "the Colombian border," ready to show to potential customers. Meanwhile, at a local hospital offering vaccinations for a treacherous jungle crossing, the Spanish-speaking nurse keeps a Chinese translation of the intake form on her desk.

A ticket agent in Quito holds up a sign written in Chinese for the bus to "Tulcan at the Colombian border."

Yong Xiong/CNN

A rising number of businesses on the outskirts of the city's central business district are catering to the trend, according to travel agent Long Quanwei, who moved to Quito from China five years ago, as reported by CNN last month.

In this area, convenience and department stores are selling equipment and products required for the northward journey, with Chinese-owned businesses providing accommodation, food, and a meeting place for individuals to connect with others traveling north and make decisions about their onward routes, Long explained.

In some hostels, a night's stay with meals costs around $20 and they provide printed Chinese-language maps and instructions on the wall detailing each part of the trip. The owner, who wishes to remain anonymous due to concerns about online criticisms, believes there are around 100 similar small businesses catering to Chinese travelers, including those planning to travel north. "Many people who don't speak English or Spanish come here and seek me out," she explained.

Zheng Shiqing was one of those who passed through, arriving in early December after initially traveling by plane through Thailand, Morocco, and Spain. At 28 years old and with a serious expression, he had already encountered some setbacks.

During his initial journey through Colombia, Zheng and a companion were held up at gunpoint, resulting in the loss of his phone and money. Despite this setback, he returned to Quito to gather himself, unwavering in his determination to continue on to the US in order to escape the cycle he perceives in China.

Zheng, a recent high school graduate from rural Yunnan province, shared the increasingly difficult realities faced by people like him whose parents are migrant workers in China, despite the rapid economic growth that has lifted many out of poverty. "I sometimes wish I had never been born. Living is just so exhausting."

Zheng Shiqing, a migrant from China, began working in a factory mixing glue for shoe boxes in his late teens. Later, he worked at an assembly line manufacturing smartphone parts for Apple. During the pandemic, he was stuck at a factory producing internet routers and couldn't leave due to the lockdown. After the lockdown was lifted, Zheng took another job where he claims he was never paid, despite filing a formal complaint.

Earlier this year, like thousands of other Chinese, Zheng chose to attempt "zou xian" or taking the "walking route" to America.

Dire straits

The term has evolved into a polite way to describe the risky voyage, much like "worldwide excursions" - a keyword that individuals may use to discover internet guides in Mandarin on how to get ready, navigate each part, and even communicate with immigration authorities.

China's previously relaxed Covid-19 controls have disproportionately affected blue collar workers in cities and residents in rural areas. This has led to continued economic struggles, exacerbated by a property market crisis, high local government debt, and a government crackdown on the once-thriving private sector, resulting in significant job losses.

People walk on a street at the end of the workday in Beijing on March 17, 2023. (Photo by GREG BAKER / AFP) (Photo by GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images)

Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images/File

Chinas economy had a miserable year. 2024 might be even worse

Last year, after reaching record levels, the government stopped releasing data on urban youth unemployment. The Communist Party promised to take action to strengthen the economy and suppress negative news about it.

Victor Shih, director of the 21st Century China Center at the University of California San Diego, remarked, "It's noticeable that many are undertaking the risky journey to South America and onwards to the US despite the country being politically stable," highlighting the difference from previous waves of emigration from China during times of political unrest.

The indication is that a large portion of the population is experiencing severe economic hardship. In the mid-20th century, hundreds of thousands escaped to Hong Kong from the mainland due to civil war, political instability, and famine during the reign of Communist China's founder, Mao Zedong.

People escaping famine in mainland China were detained by Hong Kong police and British troops after crossing the border into the city in May 1962.

AP

With the opening of China's economy in the early 1980s, Chinese emigration to the US saw a significant increase, coinciding with the removal of restrictive US immigration policies a little over a decade prior. US data indicates a notable increase in Chinese individuals gaining permanent residency, often through family ties, employment, and political asylum pathways.

The dynamics shifted in the early 2000s as China's economy experienced significant growth, providing more opportunities for workers and allowing wealthier Chinese individuals greater resources to immigrate or study in the US.

However, in the last decade under its most authoritarian leader in decades, Xi, the country has also experienced a heightened suppression of civil society and any kind of opposition. During this time, China has also tightened its grip on religion and has been accused by the United Nations' highest human rights body of committing serious abuses against Muslim minorities, which it denies.

According to UN data, the number of Chinese people seeking political asylum in the US and other countries has increased significantly during Xi's leadership. In 2013, there were nearly 25,000 asylum seekers from China, but by the first six months of 2023, this number had risen to over 120,000 worldwide.

At the southern US border, not only single adults but also families are seeking asylum, as they are fleeing persecution. In the past, asylum seekers from China would often apply for asylum after entering the US on a tourist visa or through a different route that did not involve being detained at a border, according to immigration experts.

The southern border has become a more popular route for an increasing number of people from around the world to cross since the pandemic ended. Those who have crossed illegally must undergo an initial screening to stay in the US and apply for asylum, but various migrants may encounter different challenges due to an overwhelmed system.

The experts anticipate that Congress will soon revise immigration regulations for the border, potentially tightening and updating existing rules. Amidst a surge in border crossings, a noteworthy trend is the growing number of Chinese nationals embarking on the risky journey, despite ongoing tensions between the US and China.

The walking route

Starting the journey comes with a hefty price tag for individuals like Zheng. Those who decide to gather information and navigate their way through South and Central America will be shelling out a minimum of $5,000, which is over a third of the average annual salary of a Chinese factory worker.

This involves taking flights from Asia, usually through Chinese passport-friendly nations such as Turkey, to Ecuador. Once there, cash is used for overnight accommodations, buses, taxis, boat rides, and often a guide for crossing the challenging Darien Gap, which connects Colombia with Panama and has no roads running through it.

For those who have the resources, there are ways to mitigate some of the risks. CNN discovered various travel options and packages tailored to Chinese travelers seeking to undertake the journey.

Travelers can pay smugglers between $9,000 and $12,000 to arrange transportation for parts of the journey north, as well as a boat and guide for the optional rainforest crossing, all inclusive.

For those with a budget of at least $20,000, the route becomes easier. This includes assistance with obtaining a multiple-entry visa to Japan, which allows for visa-free entry to Mexico, and transport to the border.

It is unclear how many people are utilizing these curated routes, but the available options indicate a diverse range of economic backgrounds among those traveling to the border. CNN gathered this information by interviewing smugglers and other individuals familiar with the industry, as well as from online tutorials.

Travelers from China who journey overland usually follow a frequently used route from Quito to Tulcan, a small city located on the border with Colombia.

According to residents interviewed by CNN, hundreds, if not thousands, of Chinese migrants pass from Ecuador to Colombia weekly. In Tulcan, locals are adjusting to the increasing numbers and one storekeeper has even started charging a fee to assist Chinese migrants with obtaining transit visas, allowing them to stay legally in Colombia for 10 days.

However, she cautions that the journey is perilous, as Chinese migrants have become the main focus of cartels and criminals, something that Zheng experienced firsthand.

He made the journey through Tulcan once again in mid-December, and then traveled further northeast to Necocli, a coastal city where boats are ready to transport migrants across the Gulf of Urabá to the edge of the Darien Gap, which they must then cross on foot.

Zheng Shiqing takes a bus from Quito to Tulcan on Ecuador's Colombian border.

Evelio Contreras/CNN

Photographs provided to CNN by Zheng and other individuals in China depict the dangers of the miles-long jungle trail. Groups are led through thick rainforest and rocky riverbanks, sometimes having to navigate steep, slippery areas and use ropes to cross fast-moving or deep river water.

They proceed in wooden boats wearing orange life jackets along a winding river to the temporary migrant camps in Panama. Here, they register, receive a free meal, and have the opportunity to rest before authorities transport them to northern camps in the dark of night. The journey continues through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico, with the possibility of being stopped by police or thieves.

The last part of the journey to America is especially difficult for some. Chen, a 38-year-old mother, and her two children, aged 15 and 11, have spent at least two nights sleeping on the streets in Mexican towns as they work to reach the border.

She hopes to reunite with her husband in the US, who made the journey a year ago after facing detention and abuse from authorities in China due to his political activism and attending church. For safety reasons, she prefers not to disclose her full name.

"Without the opportunity to come to America, no matter how difficult life may be, we would have to continue living in hiding in another city in China," she shared with CNN from Tapachula, a town at Mexicos southern border, as she weighed the options of paying a smuggler or attempting to bribe their way past immigration police.

Zheng encountered familiar challenges. "I could navigate the rainforest with sheer determination, but Mexico is another matter," he explained to CNN while in Tapachula in late December, working to strategize and secure funding for his next steps.

American dream?

Days later, after scrounging together thousands more dollars to pay a smuggler to arrange a flight for him, Zheng made it to Tijuana just south of the California border.

Following a short detention, he managed to slip through a hole in the border wall and finally made it to America. Like many others who make the same journey, he waited in an informal camp in the country's southernmost remote areas. As he struggled to keep warm, his mind was filled with thoughts of the future: "I need to find a job and a place to live," he shared with CNN via text before being transported to a detention center for processing.

Zheng and countless others face a new level of uncertainty as they make this crossing. After being processed by immigration officials and permitted to enter an asylum claim, they may wait for years to make their case in front of a judge in a system that is already at capacity.

During this time, individuals can seek legal employment and relocate within the country, often under the requirement of wearing a government-issued GPS tracker. Wang Qun, 34, whose border crossing journey was covered by CNN in June 2022, used this waiting period to begin building the life he had long yearned for in America.

Last autumn, following extensive study of English terminology related to tractor trailer components and operations, Wang successfully passed a licensing examination. This achievement enabled him to realize his longstanding ambition of working as a truck driver in the United States.

Wang Qun, who immigrated to the US in 2022, has gotten a job as a truck driver.

Evelio Contreras/CNN

Wang now makes a good income by driving long distances between California and Florida. He and his partner, Iris, who he met in Los Angeles after she crossed the border from China a few months after he did, are expecting a baby. "I believe that Iris and I are assets to America. We work hard and pay taxes, so I don't think our presence is a burden on the US government," he stated. Wang chose not to disclose the specifics of his asylum claim to CNN since the case is still pending.

Despite their backgrounds, immigration experts warn that receiving a favorable ruling from the US government on such cases is unpredictable. Data from the Department of Homeland Security shows that Chinese nationals were among the largest groups of successful asylum seekers in 2022, with nearly 13% of approved applicants originating from China, totaling just over 4,500 people.

Due to the lengthy wait times, the data for 2022 does not accurately represent the influx of asylum seekers.

Individuals choosing to migrate through the southern border may originate from diverse backgrounds, with many citing concerns of having their "livelihood and various interests being violated" in China. Ma Ju, a Chinese-Muslim community leader who received asylum in the US in 2019, provided this insight.

Running a shelter in New York City for new arrivals from China, many of whom claim to be escaping political or religious persecution, he understands the struggles they face. He notes that obtaining a work permit in the US can take over a year, forcing them to work under the table without labor protections while they await their fate.

However, during the waiting period, there is still hope.

Reported by CNN's Norma Galeana in Los Angeles, and Abel Alvarado and Evelio Contreras in Ecuador, Colombia, and Panama.