More than 500,000 migrants crossed the Darién jungle in 2023, a historic record

More than 500,000 migrants They crossed the dangerous jungle of Darien on their way to North America until now in 2023, a historical record of individuals who crossed this natural border between Panama It is Colombiathe majority of them Venezuelans, official sources told EFE this Wednesday.

Of the 501,297 migrants who have crossed so far this year the one known as Darien PlugVenezuelan nationality is “the one with the highest income with 320,465 (…) followed by the Ecuadorian with 54,757 migrants”, revealed the Panamanian authorities.

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With an approximate average of more than a thousand daily arrivals, this new record number leaves behind 248 thousand in 2022 and 133 thousand in 2021.

A historical figure despite the numerous obstacles that migrants must face when crossing the jungle, such as the danger of wild animal attacks, snake bites, river flooding due to torrential rains or robberies and rapes.

The head of the regional delegation of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for Mexico and Central America, Oliver Duboisexplained this Wednesday to several international media outlets, including EFE, that this situation demands “an immediate humanitarian assistance response”, as well as a coordinated reaction between countries of origin, transit and destination in conjunction with humanitarian organizations.

Dubois warned that behind this “raw number” of the entry of migrants, we must pay attention to the fact that many of them are “girls, boys and adolescents who arrive dehydrated after days without trying food, sick, in need of physical and mental health care, but also with specific protection needs, especially if they have been victims of sexual violence, extortion, kidnapping”And other crimes.

“We must remember that behind each figure there are individuals with their own stories, people who decided to emigrate for different reasons, including violence, and each one must be treated with dignity.“, said the regional head of the ICRC in the Panamanian capital.

In the second week of November, Panamanian authorities had already placed more than 468,000 migrants who arrived in the country this year through the Darienwhich connects the south of the continent with Central America.

In the Government, they accuse the countries of South America, mainly the neighbors Colombiato turn its back on the problem of immigration, in the management of which the Central American country has invested close to 70 million dollars in recent years, according to official data.

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Panama registers migrants upon arrival at indigenous populations, upon leaving the jungle or at migration reception centers, where they receive shelter, food and health care, and then coordinates their departure by bus to Costa Ricaa trip they must pay for themselves.

For years, Panama has been applying this controlled flow operation, which consists of hosting irregular migrants in stations located on both the southern border (Darién) and the northern border, in The Gualaca Plansnear Costa Rica.

At these stations the authorities Panama They board them on buses that the travelers themselves must pay for and that, until now, left them at the border of the country. Canoe Pass. However, in October, Panama and Costa Rica activated a “humanitarian corridor”for the direct transfer of migrants to the territory of Costa Rica.

Source: Elcomercio

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I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.