Thousands risk their lives crossing the treacherous jungle to enter the US

The United States recently deported 104 Indian migrants, who were handcuffed and shackled for a nearly 24-hour flight back to India. The deportation followed US President Donald Trump’s intensified crackdown on illegal immigration, a topic he recently discussed with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a phone call, according to AP. The illegal journey into the US often involves navigating multiple dangerous crossings, including the treacherous Darien Gap—a vast, roadless jungle that links Colombia and Panama.

What is the Darien Gap?

The Darien Gap is a 97-km stretch of dense rainforest, swamps, and mountains. It is the only interruption in the Pan-American Highway, a road system stretching from Alaska to Argentina. Due to its extreme terrain, harsh climate, and lack of infrastructure, the region has long been considered nearly impassable. However, for migrants desperate to reach the US, it has become an unavoidable gateway.

Those attempting the crossing face steep mountains, muddy swamplands, fast-moving rivers, and dangerous wildlife, including venomous snakes and jaguars. However, the greatest threats come from criminal organizations that dominate the route. Smuggling networks, drug cartels, and armed groups often demand payments, rob migrants, or subject them to brutal violence.

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The ‘donkey route’ through Darien Gap

Many Indians attempting to enter the US illegally follow what is known as the ‘donkey route.’ This involves traveling to Central American nations such as Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Guatemala, where visas are easier to obtain. From there, migrants move to Mexico and attempt to cross into the US, often relying on human smugglers, or “coyotes,” who charge thousands of dollars for the perilous journey.

With direct air travel to the US becoming more difficult due to stricter visa regulations, this method has gained popularity. Smugglers and organized crime syndicates exploit migrants by promising safe passage but often abandon them in life-threatening conditions.

In recent years, the number of migrants crossing the Darien Gap has surged. In 2023, over 520,000 people made the journey—more than double the div from the previous year. By 2024, over 300,000 had already crossed, although numbers slightly declined due to increased enforcement, Reuters reported.

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A decade ago, only a few thousand people attempted this crossing annually. Today, it has turned into a high-risk migration corridor, with individuals from Venezuela, Haiti, Ecuador, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India making the perilous trek. The journey can take anywhere from 7 to 15 days, during which migrants endure food and water shortages, disease, and rampant crime. Many do not survive.

Humanitarian crisis in the Darien Gap

The Darien Gap remains a humanitarian disaster, with 312 migrant deaths or disappearances reported between 2015 and 2022 and 229 more between 2021 and 2023. In 2023 alone, Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) treated 676 sexual assault victims, with 233 cases recorded in early 2024. Overcrowded shelters lack essentials like food, water, and medical aid, leaving many migrants stranded. Social media misinformation, often spread by smugglers, continues to fuel crossings.

The increasing number of migrants using this passage has also severely impacted local communities and the environment. Indigenous villages along the route are struggling to accommodate the influx of people, while deforestation and pollution continue to damage the fragile jungle ecosystem.

The region is also a hotspot for human trafficking and cartel activity. Colombia’s Gulf Clan, one of the most powerful drug cartels, controls smuggling operations and reportedly earned $57 million from migrant crossings in the first ten months of 2023 alone.