Nearly 250,000 migrants from a host of nations have made the deadly trek through the Darien Gap this year in hopes of reaching the United States. According to government officials in Panama, the number of migrants who traveled through the deadly jungle pathway since January broke previous yearly records. Officials estimate the total regional crossings could hit 400,000 by the year’s end.
Maria Isabel Saravia, Panama’s deputy director of migration, told reporters the 2023 total of migrants moving through the Darien, as of Sunday, stands at 248,901. The previous high mark of migrant crossings in one year stood at 248,284 according to Panamanian Officials. According to an EFE news report in Spanish, more than 133,000 migrants moved through the Darien Jungle in 2021.
A group of migrants make their way up a steep jungle climb in the Darien Gap. (Venezuelan Migrant — Used with Permission)
Saravia told reporters 21 percent of the nearly 250,000 migrants making the trek through the jungle were young children and adolescents. More than half of the children crossing through the jungle were five years old or younger. Government officials say the largest demographic of migrants is Venezuelans — 136,000 of the nearly 250,000 crossings. Ecuadorian and Haitian nationals followed with more than 30,000 from each country making the journey.
During the press conference, Saravia told reporters in Spanish, “We find ourselves facing a humanitarian crisis of large proportion, this is something that Panama cannot attend to alone.”
Located between Panama and Colombia, the Darien Jungle is one of the most formidable obstacles migrants will face on their trek to the United States. The UN International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Missing Migrants Project estimates more than 250 migrants died crossing the Darién Gap between January 2018 and June 2023 — more than 40 were children.
The discovery of decaying migrant bodies is not uncommon along the journey through the Darien Gap. (Venezuelan Migrant — Used with Permission)
The hazards posed by the jungle include several rivers with currents that increase significantly during the rainy season. The jungle hosts an abundance of wildlife, including jaguars, pumas, and wild hogs. Aside from the natural hazards of the habitat, the Darien is home to violent drug and contraband traffickers, paramilitary groups, and guerillas.
The danger is even greater for the female migrants who attempt the crossing. Sexual assaults and rapes have been reported to authorities regularly as the number of migrants attempting the crossing increases. Between May and August 2021, Doctors Without Borders treated 105 women who had been sexually assaulted. Many more sexual assaults are believed to go unreported.
As the number of migrants headed to the United States through the Darien Gap increases, the stress and strain of coping with their arrival also takes its toll. In New York, hundreds of migrants arriving daily are overwhelming the city’s ability to provide shelter.
As reported by Breitbart Texas, some migrants have resorted to sleeping on the sidewalks of Manhattan as they wait for city officials to find accommodations. According to Mayor Eric Adams, without more federal help, the city has run out of room to accommodate the new arrivals. According to Adams, more than 90,000 migrants have arrived in the city since last Spring.
The increasing number of migrants who enter the Darien jungle is a sign that the troubles facing New York and other United States cities are far from over.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX
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