Panama launched an interagency operation aimed at stopping illegal migration across the dangerous Darién Gap, a dense jungle area on its border with Colombian. In coordination with the U.S. and Colombia, it intends to break up human smuggling networks which made possible for hundreds of thousands of migrants -mainly going to the United States- to pass through this dangerous land. Security measures and technology have been amplified in the operation to control the growing number of migrants and improve safety in this deadly area.
The Darién Gap has, for a long time, remained deadly and important to migrants journeying from countries such as Haiti and Venezuela to seek better life in the U.S. This meant an unsafe passage through the jungle, across rivers, and over rugged terrain that has turned out to be one of the riskiest routes for migrants at any place in the world. However, this crossing - that has been nonchalantly termed as 'deadliestOptimism spurred by economic turbulence at home, besides violent conditions, has pushed the numbers up tremendously over the last few years.
That new operation was announced in April-just as the U.S. government was readying to lift pandemic-related restrictions that for years have allowed authorities to turn back asylum seekers at the border. With those restrictions set to expire, there is intensified pressure to address the growing number of migrants trying to make the treacherous journey across the Darién Gap. This is a three-country cooperation between the U.S., from Panama, to Colombia, to increase surveillance and deploy more resources and coordination to disrupt the smuggling networks and provide humanitarian assistance to those in need.
Also, it tries to deal with the roots of this migration by investing in the local communities and creating economic opportunities in the most affected regions by this crisis. Tackling both the immediate challenges and the root causes driving this migration will pave the way for a more sustainable and humane solution to this intricate issue of illegal migration through the Darién Gap.
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