January 17, 2023 – 09:36
At least 36 migrants died in the attempt last year, although the number could be higher because many perish in the jungle without their remains being reported or recovered, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a report released on Tuesday from Geneva and that it is based on records from Panama.
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Panamanian immigration authorities reported that they had no updated figures on migrant transit in the first two weeks of January.
“The stories we have heard from those who have crossed the Darien Jungle are testimony to the horrors that this journey entails,” said Giuseppe Loprete, head of the United Nations Mission in Panama. “Many have lost their lives or disappeared, while others have made it but now have significant health problems.”
Transit through this border area between Colombia and Panama has nearly doubled from 2021, when at least 133,000 migrants made the move, mostly Haitians. In 2022, the river was dominated by Venezuelans with more than 150,327 crossings.
In October, the US government announced new immigration control measures for Venezuelans as the number of those attempting to cross the border with Mexico irregularly has surged, including migrants who have bypassed the Darién.
FONT: Associated Press
January 17, 2023 – 09:36