Dangerous Darién Gap migration route temporarily closed

Migration through the Darién Gap ground to a halt after the Colombian navy seized two boats ferrying migrants to the entrance of the notoriously dangerous jungle route. Authorities arrested the boat captains last week and claimed the migrants were being transported illegally, prompting other boat companies to suspend operations in protest. The US authorities have been pressuring Colombia for months to do more to clamp down on the route. Migration through the Darién Gap has been rising sharply, with nearly a million people believed to have crossed since 2021, and half of those doing so in 2023 alone. Many making these difficult journeys are escaping regional violence and economic crises in countries like Venezuela, Haiti, and Cuba, but increasing numbers have also been coming from countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, including China. For more on the crisis, check out last month’s in-depth analysis, which unpicks all the latest Darién Gap news and trends in six maps and one graph.