SEATTLE - Known as one of the riskiest and most treacherous paths in the world, the Darien Gap — a rugged jungle passage between Colombia and Panama — has seen a decrease in the flow of migrants trying to cross its perilous jungle, according to comments from José Raúl Mulino, president of Panama.
For years, the Darien Gap has been one of the preferred paths for migrants in Central and South America trying to make their way to the U.S.-Mexico border. Although Venezuelans make up the majority of migrants passing through, Africans and Asians have also been spotted using the Darien Gap. But according to officials, there has been a significant decrease in the flow of migrants traveling northbound in 2024 compared to previous years.
The Panamanian president claims that 289,000 migrants have been reported to have crossed the Darien Gap this year. Although the month of September saw a sharp increase in crossings with 25,111 migrants, 51% more than in August, the total number of crossings or encounters so far this year has decreased by nearly 40%.
The number of US-bound migrants passing through the Darien jungle has fallen almost by 200,000. In the same period last year, the number of crossings was 482,000, and by the end of 2023, more than half a million migrants ended up crossing the perilous path.
But since President José Raúl Mulino took office on July 1, he promised to curb migration through the Darien Gap by closing several access points and, more recently, by deporting migrants on flights funded by the U.S. government.
Mulino said the decrease was partly due to "heavy rains that made it impossible to navigate the rivers," but added that migrant flow will not stop as long as the political and economic crisis in Venezuela continues.
As of early November, Panama had recorded nearly 289,000 migrant arrivals through the Darien Gap, almost a 38% decrease with the same period last year. Out of the total, 61% of migrants crossing the jungle were Venezuelans.
But despite the dangers, including wild animals, inhospitable terrain and the presence of criminal gangs, migrants continue to cross through the Darien despite Mulino's stricter security measures since taking office.
Some analysts are skeptical the government's plans will succeed in the medium term without addressing the root causes of migration, while others fear the stricter measures could make travel even more dangerous for migrants.
When Mulino took office, 20,519 migrants crossed the Darien Gap, a 34% decrease compared to the previous month and less than half the number of migrants who crossed in July of 2023.
Children continue to be in great danger
According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), although the total flow of migrants has decreased, the number of minors crossing through the Darien Gap continues to increase for a fifth consecutive year.
During the first four months of 2024, more than 30,000 children crossed the Darien Gap, a 40% increase compared to the same period in 2023.
UNICEF says that of the 30,000 children on the move during the first four months of 2024, nearly 2,000 of them were traveling unaccompanied or separated from their families. Compared to the same period in 2023, that number tripled. The organization says that the number of children crossing the Darien Gap is growing five-time faster than the number of adults.
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