More than 400,000 migrants headed for the US have passed through the dreaded forest area between Panama and Colombia this year, the Panamanian administration reported on Thursday.
This amount represents a 62 percent increase over the total number of migrants who passed through the Darien Gap in 2022.
Wild animals, dense jungle, rivers, and bands of criminals that rob migrants or demand money to lead them through the jungle are all present throughout the route.
The 165-mile (265-kilometer) Darien Gap has developed into a vital passageway for migrants traveling from South America to Central America and Mexico in an effort to reach the United States, despite its perils.
The precise number of migrants who pass away in the area of dense jungle is unknown to Panamanian officials, as many deaths go unrecorded.
As of Wednesday, the Public Security Ministry reported counting 402,030 visitors.
Additionally, it claimed that up to 4,000 people may be seen leaving Colombia each day. Although some are Chinese and Afghan, the majority are from Venezuela, Haiti, Ecuador, and Colombia.
Because of the volume, Panama has established migrant relief centers across the nation.
However, Public Security Minister Juan Pino asserted that “we are making a superhuman effort” while acknowledging that Panama is overburdened on Thursday.
The administration announced a variety of measures on September 9 in an effort to stop the never-ending flow of people into the country, including a rise in the number of deportations of illegal immigrants.
