Migration through Panama's perilous Darien Gap hits all-time high


  • World
  • Tuesday, 01 Aug 2023

FILE PHOTO: A group of migrants from different countries walk through the Darien Gap, as they continue their journey to the U.S. border, in Acandi, Colombia July 9, 2023. REUTERS/Adri Salido/File Photo

PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - The number of people crossing the treacherous Darien Gap linking Panama and Colombia hit an all-time high in the first seven months of the year, figures released on Monday showed, with July seeing a sharp jump despite recent efforts to curb the trend.

Official data showed 248,901 people walked through the jungle area between January and July, already surpassing the record of 248,284 recorded for the whole of 2022, with most aiming to reach the United States, according to data from Panama's Security Ministry.

Entries to Panama from Colombia through the jungle region have continued to rise despite a two-month program launched in April by the United States, Panama and Colombia to tackle undocumented immigration.

July recorded the most crossings, with 52,530 people taking part in the dangerous journey, up 77% from June, mostly from Venezuela, Haiti and Ecuador, according to the data.

The flow of migrants has skyrocketed from previous years, despite the start of the rainy season, Panama's Security Minister Juan Pino said earlier this month.

Some 20% of the people who have crossed the jungle this year are minors, 51% of whom are under five years old, migration official Maria Saravia said at a press conference where the new figures were presented.

The United Nations forecast in April the total number of crossings would surpass 400,000 this year, with the organization warning that migrants crossing through the jungle are exposed to disease, violence, sexual abuse and human trafficking.

(Reporting by Elida Moreno; Writing by Valentine Hilaire; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In World

Colombia to buy Saab fighter aircraft, Swedish public radio reports
Nigeria court frees 119 protesters after government drops charges
Greek court detains man pending trial over Athens apartment blast
Greece mulls migrant facility on Rhodes to tackle rise in arrivals
German liberals bat away Greens' peace offering on coalition
Spain earmarks 10.6 billion euros in loans, grants to flood victims
Polls open in US as millions prepare to vote
Bluetongue virus threatens Sardinia's historic sheep farming industry
G7 and allies warn Russia over use of North Korean troops in Ukraine
Russian missile kills six, injures 20 in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia

Others Also Read