The Human Cost of Surging Migration Through the Darién Gap

I met Maya[1] for a coffee at her workplace in the United States. She is one of the more than the 263, 633 Venezuelans that crossed into the U.S. in 2023, up from 189, 520 in 2022[2]. In the past four years, the region has seen an unprecedented number of migrants moving north from South/Central America to the U.S.[3] Like Maya, many of them choose the Darién Gap, a challenging stretch of jungle and swamp between Colombia and Panama as their route of transit.  

The Darién Gap is currently being used by a record number of migrants. Between 2019 and 2023, the Panamanian migration authorities reported a more than 2000% increase in irregular crossings through the Darién Gap, rising from 23,968 in 2019 to 520,085 in 2023[4].

Maya tells me that the situation in Venezuela had become extremely challenging, with a deep economic crisis that hinders the ability of low- and middle-income citizens to access basic services. She decided to travel after listening to countless stories of families and friends that had already made the journey. Her brother, already in the U.S. sent her money so she could begin her journey. 

She is part of an increasing flow of Venezuelans making the journey through the Darién Gap. While migration flows in the region were dominated by Haitians and Cubans in previous years, 2023 saw a sharp increase in the number of Venezuelans and Ecuadorians. As an example of this migration shift, while in 2019 these two nationalities represented 0.4% of irregular crossings into Panama, in 2023 they represented 74% of total crossings.

In addition, the number of vulnerable people within these flows is increasing. For example, the number of children crossing the Darién Gap have almost tripled in size, with 113,180 crossing in 2023, compared to 40,438 in 2022[5]. While many travel in groups, there are also increasing numbers of unaccompanied or separated children, with the Red Cross in Panama reporting an average of 25 unaccompanied or separated children identified every day on the route[6].

Maya tells me that she decided to leave her young daughter behind because of fears of dangers encountered on the route. She recounted stories of parents dragging their tired children through the jungle. Extreme temperatures and a very challenging terrain made her grateful for leaving her own child behind. “I don’t know how parents do it (…) the conditions were so challenging for adults, let alone little children” she says.

Migrants travelling through the Darién Gap face a perilous journey filled with natural obstacles, endemic diseases, and violence from armed and criminal groups dominating the area. According to the UNHCR, one in three migrants reported mistreatment or abuse during their journey. 24% reported being victims of theft, scam or fraud, and 23% reported being victims of threats, intimidation, and attacks[7]. Maya recounts that her group was robbed at gunpoint on the first day in the jungle. They demanded all their money, leaving them with nothing to pay for food and transportation for the rest of their passage through the jungle. The dead bodies encountered en route only served to intensify the mental distress of her travel group.

Like Maya, many migrants are usually unaware of the high costs and hazards of this journey, which can cost over $1,000 USD per person. Once they arrive at the migrant station in the Panamanian side, migrants also have to come up with money to board the buses for the next stretch of the trip. Services for wire transfers require a minimum of 400 USD and up to 20% commission. There are reports that those who cannot come up with funds are usually kept captive until they come up with the money, with some migrants spending up to three months before being able to leave[8].  

While there are currently efforts from the Panamanian government to deter migrants from crossing the Darien Gap through campaigns such as “The Darien is not a route, it’s a jungle”, by March 2024, 110,008 irregular crossings were reported by the government of Panama, a 26% increase over the same time period in 2023[9]. When asked what she would say to Colombian and Panamanian authorities if she had the chance, Maya shared: “I would never recommend going through the Darien Gap. So many people have died there (...) there should not be a place that is so unsafe for people. Once inside you literally lose everything (...) I would tell authorities of both governments, please close the passage, don’t let more people lose their lives there”.

[1] Name is changed for the purposes of this article.

[2] CSIS. The Persistence of the Venezuelan Migrant and Refugee Crises. 2023. Available at: https://www.csis.org/analysis/persistence-venezuelan-migrant-and-refugee-crisis#:~:text=In%20search%20of%20the%20American,up%20from%20189%2C520%20in%202022.

[3] International Crisis Group. “Communities, Crime and Environment in the Darién.” Bottleneck of the Americas: Crime and Migration in the Darién Gap. International Crisis Group, 2023.

[4] Servicio Nacional de Migración en Panamá. (2023). Estadísticas Migratorias.

[5] Servicio Nacional de Migración en Panmá. 2023.

[6] IFRC and Red Cross Panama. “Escenarios Migratorios 2024 Darien”, 2024. https://media.licdn.com/dms/document/media/D4E1FAQHOMJnI4ozMBQ/feedshare-document-pdf-analyzed/0/1710276782018?e=1715817600&v=beta&t=oBI26foQf1iuAa6kAEDpMW8pjyAoKiPQJXeGEum3g3g

[7] UNHCR, Mixed Movements Data

[8] International Crisis Group, “Bottleneck of the Americas”.

[9] Servicio Nacional de Migración en Panamá, 2024; IOM, Migration Trends in the Americas: October – December 2023, https://robuenosaires.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl626/files/documents/2024-02/en-informe-de-tendencias-2024-1_1.pdf