Panama records sharp decline in illegal immigration through Darien Gap | Immigration news

Number of migrants and asylum seekers crossing the border Darren Jab — the treacherous strip of jungle connecting South and North America — has declined by nearly 41 percent in the past year.

Right-wing Panamanian President Jose Raul Molino announced the decline on Thursday, describing it as a success for the country’s efforts to curb illegal immigration.

“We have achieved a 41 percent reduction in the flow of migrants crossing the Darien Forest,” Raul Molino told the Panamanian Congress in a speech.

“We work every day to ensure that illegal immigration does not reach (Panama City) or the rest of the country.”

Panama I faced pressure to crack down on illegal immigration in recent years, as the number of migrants and asylum seekers traveling north has reached record levels.

In fiscal year 2023, the United States reported 2.48 million “encounters” with migrants and asylum seekers on its southern border with Mexico.

It marked a new milestone for the United States and led to a political backlash, with immigration featuring prominently in the country’s general election in 2024.

For example, President-elect Donald Trump – the winner of the 2024 presidential race – has pledged to pursue “Mass deportationcampaign upon taking office on January 20.

Likewise in Panama, 2023 Record breaking numbers of migrants and asylum seekers who have navigated the Darien Gap.

An estimated 520,085 people passed through the perilous jungle, known for its steep terrain, fast rivers and criminal networks.

But in 2024, Panama’s immigration authorities saw a sharp decline in the number of people risking their lives in the jungle. About 302,203 people crossed the Darien Gap last year.

The United States similarly saw a decline in numbers on its southern border. In fiscal year 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection documented 2.14 million irregular “encounters” with migrants and asylum seekers, a 14 percent decrease.

November alone witnessed the lowest monthly total of irregular border crossings during the four years of US President Joe Biden’s term.

But the United States has tried to clamp down on illegal immigration in recent months. Last year, Biden Strict measures were implemented limit Access to asylum For those crossing the US-Mexico border outside official channels.

Penalties included being banned from entering the United States for five years and possible criminal prosecution.

Biden also threatened to do so Suspension of asylum applications In total, the average daily number of irregular border crossings is 2,500 people per day.

Critics warned these measures can be violated International and US humanitarian law, by limiting the ability of asylum seekers to urgently flee persecution.

But supporters of the new policies said they were necessary to rein in irregular migration.

The United States also pushed its allies in South and Central America to limit irregular migration towards the north.

For example, Panama and the United States signed an agreement deal in July to “close the passage of illegal immigrants” through the Darien Gap, with the United States offering to fund deportation flights and other logistics.

Since then, approximately 1,548 migrants and asylum seekers have been returned home on U.S.-supported deportation flights from Panama.

The United States has also established “Safe Mobility Offices” in countries such as Costa Rica, Guatemala and Colombia in an attempt to discourage potential migrants and asylum seekers from making the dangerous journey to the border.

Molyneux revealed in December that at least 55 migrants and asylum seekers had died while navigating the Darien Gap in 2024, and an estimated 180 migrants. children It was abandoned.

Due to the inhospitable nature of the terrain, some bodies were never reported or found.

Critics point out that efforts to stamp out irregular migration often ignore the underlying issues that drive migrants and asylum seekers to do so. Life-threatening trips In the first place.

Last year, for example, an estimated 69 percent of the migrants and asylum seekers documented in the Darien Gap region were from Venezuela.

There, human rights experts warn of government abuses, especially in the aftermath Contested presidential race Which witnessed the arrest of 2,000 people and the killing of 23 in the protests that followed the elections.

Venezuela has also suffered economic turmoil that has put access to basic supplies such as food and medicine out of reach for many residents. About 7.7 million people fled the country.