101,000 Migrants in 2024 Through the Darien

The Darién, the natural border between Panama and Colombia, has seen more than 101,000 migrants in 3 months, which is much higher than the same time frame last year.  The majority of those who have crossed the jungle are Venezuelans (64,307), Ecuadorians (8,198), Haitians (6,661) Colombians (6,462) plus other nationalities.  The increase in migrants through the Darién on their way to the United States or Canada in search of better living conditions has been increasing since 2021, reaching a record number of more than 520,000 in 2023, double that of the previous year and for this year, an increase of up to 20% is expected compared to last year. 

The natural dangers of the Darién and the presence of armed groups have made migrants look for other alternatives such as the Caribbean route, in which last February 5 migrants died after their boat with 27 passengers, most of them Afghans, capsized in the Panamanian Caribbean near the border with Colombia.  Also in November 2023, Panamanian security forces rescued 11 Chinese migrants who had been abandoned on a boat in the Caribbean.  Panama registers the migrants upon their arrival in the indigenous populations at the exit of the jungle or in the migratory reception centers (shelters) where they are given shelter and food, and then coordinates the departure by bus to Costa Rica, a trip that they must pay for themselves. 

However, Panamanian authorities believe that this is a “business” of organized crime that they have to deal with.  Doctors Without Borders (MSF) suspended its medical and humanitarian care in the Darién as of March 4^th by “order” of the Panamanian Government, which accused the NGO of sending “incomplete” reports. The Panamanian authorities indicated that MSF hindered the work of judicial and health institutions by refusing to provide the necessary information on migrants who were allegedly victims of sexual violence.