New Delhi:
The United States recently deported 104 Indian migrants, fascinated and chained for an almost 24-hour flight back to India. The deportation came after the performance of US President Donald Trump against illegal immigration, a subject that he recently discussed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a phone call, AP reported.
The illegal journey to the US often includes dangerous crossings through several countries, including the treacherous Darien -gorge – a huge, delayed jungle that connects Colombia and Panama.
What is Darien's gap?
The Darien Gap is a piece of 97 km from dense rainforest, marshes and mountains. It is the only break in the Pan -Marican highway – a road system that extends from Alaska to Argentina. This impenetrable region has long been avoided because of the extreme site, the hard climate and the lack of infrastructure. But for migrants, desperate to reach the US, it has become an inevitable gateway.
Those who cross the Darien Gap face steep mountains, muddy swamp countries, fast -moving rivers and dangerous animals in the wild. The jungle is the home of poisonous snakes, jaguars and deadly insects. However, the most important threats are of criminal organizations that control the route. The smuggling networks, drug cartels and armed groups require payments, rob migrants or subjects.
The 'Donkey Route' by Darien Gap
Many Indians who try to enter the US illegally follow what is known as the 'donkey route'. This means that travel to countries such as Central American countries such as Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Guatemala, where Visa are easily available. From there they go their way to Mexico and then try to enter the US, often with the help of coyotes (human smugglers) who charge thousands of dollars for the dangerous intersection.
This method has become increasingly popular as direct air routes to the US become more difficult due to stricter visa instructions. Smugglers, Mafia gangs and organized crime syndicates use these migrants, promise them a safe passage, but often leave in life-threatening circumstances.
Scale of migrants who cross the Darien Gap
In recent years, the number of people who exceed the Darien gorge has been shot up. In 2023, more than 5.2 Lakh migrants made the trip – more than double the figure of the previous year. By 2024, more than 3 Lakh had already crossed, although the figures had fallen slightly as a result of increased enforcement efforts, Reuters reported.
A decade ago, only a few thousand people tried this intersection every year. Nowadays it has become in a high-risk migration highway, with people from Venezuela, Haiti, Ecuador, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India who make the dangerous journey. The journey can take anywhere from 7 to 15 days, with migrants confronted with food and water shortages, illness and unbridled crime. Many do not survive.
Humanitarian crisis in the Darien Gap
The Darien gorge remains a humanitarian disaster, with 312 deaths by migrants or disappearances reported from 2015-2022 and 229 more between 2021 and 2023. AZG (Medecins Sans Frones, also known as Doctors without Borders) 676 Sexual Fairers in 2023 alone. , 676 Sexual attack victims treated, with 233 cases registered in the beginning of 2024. Overflowing shelters miss essence such as food, water and medical assistance, so that many migrants stay stranded. Wrong information about social media, often powered by smugglers, fuels.
With more migrants who use this passage, the impact on local communities and the environment is also devastating. Indigenous villages along the route have been overwhelmed by people, while deforestation and pollution worse in the fragile jungle ecosystem.
The region is also an important hub for human trafficking and cartel activity. Colombia's Gulf Clan, one of the most powerful medicine cartels, checks smuggling operations. It is said that they earned $ 57 million in migrant transitions in just the first 10 months of 2023.
