The United States recently deported 104 Indian migrants, forcing the them to spend nearly 24 hours traveling back to India from the United States while handcuffed and shackled. The mass deportation follows US President Donald Trump’s intensified crackdown on illegal immigration, a topic he recently discussed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, AP reported.
These are the migrants, who risk all to enter illegally into the United States, oftentimes by navigating treacherous routes through a number of countries. One of the most dangerous routes is through the infamous Darien Gap, a notorious jungle passage from Colombia to Panama.
What is the Darien Gap?
The Darien Gap covers 97 kilometers of dense rainforest, swamps, and mountains. It is the only unbroken section of the Pan-American Highway, which stretches from Alaska to Argentina. Due to its extreme terrain, harsh climate, and lack of infrastructure, the region remains largely inaccessible. However, for migrants desperate to reach the US, it has become an unavoidable passage.
It is hazardous to traverse Darien Gap with dangers in the form of steep mountains, muddy swamps, fast-flowing rivers, and deadly wildlife. Poisonous snakes, jaguars, and disease-causing insects threaten every step of the way. Still, the largest dangers come from criminal groups operating on the route. Networks for smuggling, cartels of drugs, and armed groups rob the migrants and even make them pay, use them for violence, or robbery.
The ‘Donkey Route’ Through Darien Gap
Many Indians wanting to enter the US illegitimately embark on the ‘donkey route.’ This route includes traveling into Central American countries like Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, or Guatemala because it is easier to get a visa. These migrants then proceed to Mexico in the hopes of reaching into the US and, more often than not, are facilitated by coyotes, human traffickers who charge very high money for the perilous travel route.
With the growing unavailability of direct air routes to the US and a strict visa code, this route has become increasingly popular. However, it is also used as a corridor for desperate migrants by organized crime syndicates and mafia gangs who promise safe passage but abandon migrants in hazardous conditions.
The Drifting Chaos: Rising Migration Crisis in Darien Gap
The number of migrants crossing the Darien Gap has increased hugely in the last few years. In 2023, over 5.2 lakh people managed to cross it—doubled from the previous year. Over 3 lakh had already crossed by early 2024 although the numbers saw a slight decrease due to intensified enforcement efforts, Reuters informed.
Ten years ago, it was used by a handful of a few thousand who were trying to make it across the border every year. Today, it has turned into a deadly highway for migration. Venezuelans, Haitians, Ecuadorians, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, and Indians now use the perilous 7-15-day trek, during which time they suffer acute shortages of food and water, diseases, and high crime levels. Many are not so fortunate.
Humanitarian Crisis in Darien Gap
Darien Gap becomes a humanitarian catastrophe. Between 2015 and 2022, authorities accounted for 312 deaths or disappearance cases of migrants; another 229 cases from 2021 to 2023 were on record. The treatment of victims for sexual violence at Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) accounted for 676 cases as of 2023, but in early 2024 alone, 233 additional cases reported.
Overcrowded shelters along the route lack basic necessities such as food, clean water, and medical aid, leaving thousands of migrants stranded. Social media misinformation, often spread by smugglers, continues to fuel illegal crossings, giving migrants false hope about their journey’s success.
With more users using this pass, local communities and the environment also face a terrible fate. Local villages are becoming congested while the already vulnerable jungle ecosystem continues to degrade from deforestation and pollution.
Activity of the Cartel in the Region and Human Trafficking
The Darien Gap is also a key hub for human trafficking and drug cartel operations. The most powerful drug cartel, Colombia’s Gulf Clan, dominates smuggling activities in the region. According to reports, the cartel made about $57 million from migrant crossings within the first ten months of 2023.
Most migrants are left stranded or deported while the authorities are cracking down on illegal migration. The recent deportation of 104 Indians shows the desperate measures to reach the US and the hard consequences of illegal migration.