On Friday, February 7, 2025, the Office of the Ombudsman in Panama, the national institution responsible for promoting, protecting and defending human rights, reported in a report that in 2024, a total of 400,612 migrants were registered crossing the Colombian region of Urabá and the Darien jungle.

The main migrant flows come from Venezuela (302,185), followed by Ecuador (22,785), Colombia (17,529), Haiti (17,329), China (12,214) and India (6,927).

Of this total, 126,151 are women, 195,369 are men and 72,092 are children and adolescents.

Let's recall that the Darien Jungle, an essential passage for migrants to continue their journey to the North in the hope of reaching Mexico, the United States or Canada in search of better living conditions, is one of the most dangerous regions in Latin America.

160 km long, with an area of ​​approximately 3,000 km2, the Darien Jungle located on the border between Colombia and Panama, in addition to dangers such as wild animals and other venomous species and dangerous rivers and swamps, migrants face criminal organizations that demand payment to guide and "protect" them on their journey.

A crossing during which migrants are sometimes robbed, assaulted or raped along the way and where every year, several dozen die during this dangerous journey, for various reasons (assault, health, poisonous animals, clashes between rebel groups, etc.)

The Office of the Ombudsman also warned of the "particular vulnerability of women, girls and adolescents, who face high risks of sexual violence". It also noted gaps in the mechanisms for verifying the relationship of minors with the adults accompanying them, thus increasing the risk of human trafficking and exploitation.

The control by the National Border Service of Panama (Senafront) and the promulgation in Panama of a decree imposing sanctions on those who enter illegally from Colombia, has forced migrants to take even more dangerous routes.

The National Migration Service (SNM) reported on February 1, 2025 that the flow of irregular migrants entering through the dangerous Darien jungle recorded a "historic" drop of 94% last January, compared to the same period in 2024.

2,158 migrants were recorded in January 2025 compared to 34,839 during the same period in 2024.

S/ HaitiLibre