The Beast: New documentary explores the human cost of migration on the Train of Death

14 November 2024, 17:30 | Updated: 14 November 2024, 21:03

A new documentary will tell the story of The Beast - or The Train of Death - an infamous freight train that carries thousands of migrants on one of the most dangerous journeys through Mexico, towards the US border.

Fronted by Sky News chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay, it will track the human stories on board, as it follows their journey.

Created by the International Emmy Award-winning team behind The Last Hospital: 30 Days in Myanmar, it couldn't be more timely following president-elect Donald Trump's recent victory.

With immigration forming a key battleground during the US election, the film will look at the human side of an issue that is being touted as the centrepiece of Mr Trump's agenda.

With stricter immigration enforcement across the region, as well as escalating cartel violence along the route, the journey is now more perilous than ever before.

It explores the challenging situations that led migrants to flee their home countries and considers the implication that mass migration has on US policy - particularly in this election year.

The film features stories including that of 14-year-old Colombian boy Edgar, who is left to face the treacherous journey alone after his grandmother dies en route.

Jose, travelling with his wife and two young children, is beaten unconscious and has the letters MX, short for Mexico, carved into his back.

And heavily pregnant woman Vanessa says she has endured multiple attacks on the journey, including electric shocks to her stomach from immigration authorities.

With unparalleled access, Sky News offers a rare insight into the lives of those making this treacherous journey, risking everything for a better life.

The documentary sheds light on the personal toll of mass migration and understands the humanity behind the migrant headlines and numbers as it follows this difficult and dangerous journey.

The Beast will air on Sky Documentaries and Sky News on Friday 22 November.