More than 170,000 migrants crossed the Darién between January and May, the majority are from Venezuela

Between January and May, 170,014 irregular migrants passed through the inhospitable Darién jungle, on the border between Panama and Colombia, on their way to the United States, Panamanian authorities reported.

The figures represent an increase of 2% compared to the same period in 2023, when 166,649 people were registered and are well above the 33,819 that were registered in 2022.

The flow was led by Venezuelans, Panama’s National Immigration Service said.

The increase in the total number of migrants who have transited the area so far this year occurs despite the fact that in April and May there was a decrease compared to the same period last year. Authorities attribute it to the beginning of the heavy rain season in Panama, which further complicates the already difficult passage on this route.

The Panamanian government’s projection is that at the end of the year, migration through the Darién jungle will be at least 20% above the 500,000 entries registered in 2023.

The authorities provided the entry figures between January 1 and June 6, according to the country of origin of the migrants: 68% of the entries were from Venezuelans, with a number of 113,244 in that period. In second and third place, with similar incomes, are migrants from Ecuador and Colombia: with 12,300 (that is, 7% of the total) and 11,219 (6.4%), respectively.

10,348 people of Chinese nationality (5.9%) and 9,980 (5.7%) also entered; from Haiti. The rest are of various nationalities, including India and Cuba.

Panama prepares for a change in their migration policies after the arrival of a new government headed by José Raúl Mulino, who will take office on July 1.

The president-elect has announced that he will close the border and carry out mass deportations to discourage the flow of irregular migrants across the border, although he has not yet explained what the strategy would be.

Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channels Youtube, WhatsApp and to the newsletter. Turn on notifications and follow us on Facebook, x and instagram.