An eightfold increase in the number of minors crossing the Darien jungle in Central America to emigrate

The number of minors crossing the Darien jungle between Colombia and Panama has increased dangerously in 2023. According to information from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the figure rose to 25,000 in just the first four months of 2023. This is an 800% increase compared to the same period in 2022.

The data was revealed in a recent report by the United Nations agency that warned about the plight of minors in Central America. According to UNICEF, the Darien province of Panama, on the Colombian border, has the highest percentage of children in multidimensional poverty, 59%. At least six of every ten minors live with a fundamental lack of basic needs in Darien.

This problem is directly linked to the long caravans of migrants that cross the region, with the majority planning to cross the southern border into the United States. According to information gathered by Reuters, the situation of these minors is even more severe when they are unaccompanied, which is a regular occurrence.

The province of Darien has a population of 55,000 people, but its geographical position makes it a mandatory access point for all those who want to continue the route to North America. Passage through the Darien is hazardous due to its dense vegetation and torrential rivers during the rainy months. The proliferation of small criminal groups aggravates the harsh reality for migrants, who are exposed to several dangers during their crossing.

According to Customs and Border Protection data, U.S. authorities have counted 81,474 encounters with unaccompanied minors at illegal southern border crossings in FY2023. Data is missing from May 2023, when Title 42 was extinguished, an event that caused even more of a magnetic effect for migrants at the southern border of the United States.