Growing migratory flow on Colombia-Panama border

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The current migratory wave on the border between Colombia and Panama has reached the figure of 11,370 irregular immigrants in the first four months of 2021, as the flow continues through the Darien jungle.

Official figures released to the press by the Panamanian National Migration Service showed that the number of arrivals quadrupled compared to the same period last year, and rapidly increased every month between January and April, 76% of them coming from the Antilles, mainly from Haiti.

Migrants from South America, Africa, Asia, Europe and Central America also venture into one of the most dangerous jungles in the world, where an unknown number of migrants lose their lives each year.

Some 16% of these illegal migrants are minors, a situation highlighted by the United Nations Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) regional office for Latin America and the Caribbean, which reported a notable increase in the transit of children and adolescents over the past four years.

“I have seen women emerge from the jungle with babies in their arms after walking for over seven days without water, food or any kind of protection,” stated UNICEF’s regional director Jean Gough last March, who said that these families are inadvertently endangering their lives.

“Those who finally manage to cross this dangerous border are physically and mentally devastated. Their humanitarian needs are immediate and immense. We must not forget, at the same time, the plight of the communities they come to, which are overwhelmed and often lack basic services,” she said.

The high official recently visited Bajo Chiquito, an indigenous village of only 400 inhabitants, located in the border area with Colombia, a point of arrival of families, many of whom are fleeing violence and poverty in search of better opportunities.

Official figures from the international organization show that in the past four years more than 46,500 people crossed the inhospitable jungle, of which 6,240 were children and adolescents, a flow that has not stopped despite the restrictions on mobility and the closing of borders to curb Covid-19.

The Darien forest covers an area of 575,000 hectares shared by Colombia and Panama, and is considered one of the world’s most dangerous migratory routes due to its mountainous terrain, the fauna and insects that inhabit it, the rivers that are difficult to ford, and the presence of criminal organizations that exploit travelers.

Central America is preparing a protocol to ease the current growing migratory flow on its journey to the United States, International Organization for Migration officials told the press, noting that the increase is seasonal and reflects the regional dry season that is about to end.