Record half million people crossed the treacherous Darin Gap in 2023
Source: The Guardian
Record half million people crossed the treacherous Darién Gap in 2023
Jungle between Colombia and Panama marks the start of the dangerous trek north from South America to the United States
Staff and agencies in Panama City
Wed 3 Jan 2024 16.14 GMT
Last modified on Wed 3 Jan 2024 16.24 GMT
A record 520,000 people crossed the treacherous jungle between Colombia and Panama known as the Darién Gap in 2023, more than double the number reported the year before, according to new figures from the government of Panama.
The people who made the journey that marks the start of the dangerous trek north from South America to the United States last year were mostly from Venezuela, Ecuador, Haiti and China, according to the numbers from Panama’s migration agency.
Around a quarter of the people who crossed were minors, said Samira Gozaine, who heads the agency.
“This is a national security problem,” she told reporters. “Unfortunately, we do not have a quick solution to solve it.”
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Read more: https://archive.is/HjiHj
Original Guardian link: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/03/record-half-million-people-crossed-darien-gap-2023