B737 Next Generation Undifferentiated
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 144; Flight Crew Type 1420
Communication Breakdown; Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Human Factors; Procedure
We were cleared for Visual Approach to Runway 22 at ELP. The ILS to Runway 22 was NOTAM'd out of service. High on final; PF began a left S-turn. BIF (Biggs AAF) prevented turns to the right. ELP Tower indicated that left S-turn was approved; and MAY have used the word 'east' during the garbled transmission. Tower transmitted; at least once; possibly twice; to other company call sign (not our callsign) to climb to 7000 with no response. To clarify the previous call; the PM transmitted 'call sign'. Tower transmitted to (Other Company call sign) to climb 7000 followed by something garbled. Unsure that our landing permission was still valid; the PM asked to 'Verify (call sign) is still cleared to land on 22'.  Tower responded: '(call sign) climb to 7000.' No standard phraseology was used to indicate that our landing clearance was cancelled; to go around or to perform a missed approach.PF initiated go-around at approximately 5000 MSL/1500 AGL. Runway heading pointed directly towards the Mexican border and Ciudad Juarez. A turn to the left was not prudent due to traffic on approach to other runway at ELP. A turn to the right was not prudent due to the 7900 terrain west of ELP and BIF. During the entire event; no TA or RA warning was received. PM repeatedly requested a turn and was again cleared to climb to 7000 and to contact Departure; with no frequency given. PM requested frequency and never received a Tower response. Now; heads down in the cockpit during the Missed Approach procedure; the PM located the Approach frequency on the ILS 22 page; which happened to be the standby frequency on the COMM 1 Radio. (Usually this frequency would have already been replaced with the Ground frequency; but due to task saturation; this had not yet occurred.) El Paso Departure directed a climb to 9000; then a right turn to heading 350. An uneventful downwind; vectors to the Visual Approach and landing on Runway 22 followed.Clear communications are paramount. When in doubt; verify any ambiguous directions. My initial concern was the border that we were approaching. Many with military backgrounds are extra cautious when it comes to international borders; especially as some are more critical than others. Neither the Captain nor ATC seemed to share my concerns; as border crossings are common in this area; where El Paso Approach handles traffic into airports on both sides of the border.
B737 First Officer reported very confusing ATC communications while on a visual approach to ELP Runway 22.