The month of August 2023 registered the highest number of migrants crossing the Darién gap on their way to the United States, with 68,340 people walking the dangerous route toward North America.
Panama’s Ministry of Public Security assured that the figures are increasingly alarming and exceed the country’s capacity to assist people in transit.
So far this year more than 320,000 migrants have crossed the Darien Gap, just over 190,000 of them are Venezuelans.
The figures suggest that the immigration policy of the United States has not had the expected impact, at least at the southern border. For this reason, Panama announced new territorial mechanisms for the coming days and could even consider closing the border with Colombia by the end of the year.
The passage of people through the Darién gap increases year after year
Although the Darién gap has been used for many years to reach North America, the route has become more relevant since 2021.
Since then, thousands of pictures, videos and testimonies of people traveling from the South to the United States have filled social and traditional media. Although Venezuelan nationals currently represent the largest number of migrants in transit, people from Ecuador, Peru, Cuba, Haiti, African countries, Afghanistan and China are also making the journey.
Between January and August 2022, some 102,000 people crossed the Darién gap, 68,000 of them Venezuelan nationals. That figure pales in comparison with the current year.
During the first eight months of 2023, Panamanian authorities estimate that 320,000 people have crossed the Darién gap. This means that the number of migrants has tripled in comparison with the same period in 2022. In addition to the 190,000 Venezuelan nationals, 42,000 Ecuadorians and 35,000 Haitians are also known to have followed this route. The passage of people from African and Asian countries has also been recorded.
In June 2021, the number of Venezuelans who crossed the Darién gap reached only 205. The number rose to 11,300 people one year later. Until now, the month of July 2023 had seen the highest number of crossings through the Darién gap with more than 52,000, but the figure for August exceeded that number.
Panama: This a national security issue
The Panamanian government has taken a more frontal position regarding the crossing of people through the Darién gap. In recent weeks, the authorities of the Central American country have stated that migration is a human rights issue “but also an issue of national security.”
A High-Level Commission of the Panamanian government toured the border with Colombia with the objective of “evaluating the impact of irregular migration.”
The Panamanian authorities are also addressing the migration crisis as an environmental issue. Panama’s Minister of Environment, Milciades Concepción, indicated that migration “is causing major environmental impacts on protected areas.” Meanwhile, the minister of social development, María Inés Castillo, voiced “dismay and concern.”
Following this evaluation, the government of the Central American country is expected to announce measures in the coming weeks.
On August 24, Panama’s Minister of Public Security reiterated that a temporary border closure was being evaluated to discuss further actions with Colombia in this regard. This measure might be implemented in September with the objective of better tackling the transit of people by the authorities of Panama and Colombia.
Meanwhile, several NGOs are carefully following the actions of the Panamanian government and affirm that “the authorities risk worsening the migration situation by creating greater restrictions,” while urging Panama to find a safe and humane response.
Translated by José Rafael Medina
