The number of U.S.-bound migrants who cross the dangerous jungle separating Panama and Colombia could rise to a record this year, according to a senior U.N. refugee official.
The forecast for migrants crossing the Darien Gap on their way north comes as U.S. authorities have observed a recent drop in arrivals at their southern border with Mexico after a major policy shift.
"The number of people crossing through Darien has been higher," U.N. Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees Kelly Clements told Reuters in an interview on Monday, comparing the number of migrant crossings to last year's level.
