Migrant Crossings Through Darien Gap Plummet Amid New Security Measures

Migrant crossings through the Darien Gap between Panama and Colombia fell by 35% in the first nine months of the year due to increased security measures by Panama's new government. The Panamanian authorities credit stricter border controls for the decline, although experts warn the issues driving migration remain unresolved.

Migrant crossings through the treacherous Darien Gap, connecting Panama and Colombia, have dropped by over a third in the year's first nine months, a Panamanian border official reported on Thursday, crediting heightened security measures by the new government.

From January to Sept. 25, 259,712 migrants arrived in Panama via the Darien, a 35% reduction compared to the same timeframe in 2023, according to Alexis de Gracia, head of the National Border Service's eastern brigade. Panamanian authorities attribute the decrease to stricter security actions implemented by President Jose Raul Mulino's administration, which took office on July 1. These initiatives encompass the closure of specific jungle routes and the stepped-up deportations with backing from the U.S.

This data emerges nearly four months after U.S. President Joe Biden enforced a sweeping asylum ban for migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. Panama has become a transit path for hundreds of thousands of migrants aiming to reach the United States. Last year, a record 520,000 migrants, primarily Venezuelans, traversed the Darien seeking better opportunities in the north.

Notably, in July, the first month of Mulino's administration, 20,519 migrants navigated the Darien, marking a 34% dip from June and over half the number from July last year. In August, the number of crossings fell by another 19% from the previous month and was fivefold less than August 2023, per official statistics.

However, analysts express skepticism about the long-term efficacy of these measures without tackling the root migration causes. There's apprehension that the tightened measures could heighten the perils for migrants. Furthermore, De Gracia noted the possibility of migrants opting for alternate routes, including pathways through the Caribbean from Colombia, circumventing the Darien Gap.

(With inputs from agencies.)