According to the government of Panama, 50,000 migrants passed the perilous Darien Gap in the first two months of 2023.Gap connecting Colombia and Panama. The number is five times more than in the same period last year.
In total, 250,000 migrants crossed in 2022, with large spikes in September and October. Indicating that the number is expected to rise even further later this year.
The increase was particularly noticeable among children and underage migrants. The People’s Defense Office said 9,683 migrants younger than 18 crossed the jungle-clad Darien route in January and February. That was seven times as many minors as crossed in the same period last year. The office said 1,119 of the latest young migrants were not accompanied by adults.
The office and U.N. rights organizations said the Darien Gap crossing in Panama has now become an established route for migrants. Heading from South America to the U.S. border.
The 250,000 migrants who crossed in 2022 was nearly double the 133,000 who crossed in 2021, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The trip through the inhospitable jungle is fraught with dangers. Including thieves, human traffickers and the possibility of sexual assault. Armed groups operate in the region.
The unprecedented numbers come as the US government tries to make the journey less appealing.
The administration said Jan. 5 that it would admit up to 30,000 people a month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. On a process called humanitarian parole if they applied online, entered at an airport and found a financial sponsor.
At the same time, Mexico agreed to take back the same amount from those countries who enter the U.S. illegally. And are expelled under Title 42, which denies them rights to seek asylum, with the stated goal of preventing the spread of COVID-19.