The Darien Gap, the inhospitable jungle that separates Colombia from Panama, saw the transit of nearly 250,000 migrants and refugees in 2022, nearly double the 133,000 in 2021, a record number that is skyrocketing, particularly among Venezuelan citizens.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has used this data collected by the Panamanian authorities to warn that this route remains particularly busy, despite “many people having lost their lives or disappeared” along the way.
The IOM has evidence of 36 deaths, but at the same time recognizes that it is “a small fraction” of the real number, as in a large proportion of cases the remains of those who lost their lives are not located or recovered.
Others cross, but they do so with “significant health problems,” both physical and mental, as stressed in a statement by the head of the IOM in Panama, Giuseppe Loprete. “The stories we’ve heard from those who crossed the border speak to the horrors of that journey,” he added.
By nationality, Venezuelans make up more than half of the total number of crossings, at just over 150,000. The data multiplies more than 50 times from 2021 and significantly exceeds that of Ecuadorians (over 29,000), Haitians (over 22,000) and Cubans (just under 6,000).
In terms of gender, almost three out of four migrants were men, while 16 percent of the registered cases correspond to children or adolescents.
IOM has linked the increase in border crossings in this area to a deterioration in socio-economic conditions in some of the countries of the region and for this reason has pushed for the adoption of a coordinated response, including migratory routes and mechanisms. Insurance.