The Darien Gap, the inhospitable jungle that separates Colombia from Panama, registered in 2022 the passage of almost 250,000 migrants and refugees, almost double the 133,000 in 2021, a record number that skyrockets especially in the case of Venezuelan citizens.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has used these data, collected by Panamanian authorities, to warn that this route continues to be particularly busy, despite the fact that «many people have lost their lives or have disappeared» along the way.
The IOM is aware of 36 deaths, but at the same time recognizes that it is «a small fraction» of the real figure, since in most cases the remains of those who have lost their lives are not located or recovered.
Others cross, but do so with «significant health problems», both physical and mental, as the head of the IOM in Panama, Giuseppe Loprete, said in a statement. «The stories we have heard from those who have crossed testify to the horrors of this journey,» he added.
By nationality, Venezuelans account for more than half of the total number of crossings, with just over 150,000. The figure is more than 50 times the number registered in 2021 and is clearly above that of Ecuadorians (more than 29,000), Haitians (more than 22,000) and Cubans (almost 6,000).
In terms of gender, almost three out of every four migrants were men, while 16 percent of the cases recorded were children or adolescents.
The IOM has linked the spike in crossings in this area to a worsening of socioeconomic conditions in some of the countries of the region, and has therefore urged a coordinated response that includes, among other measures, safe migration routes and mechanisms.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
