The Darien Gap and the border with the United States are the deadliest points. Millions of cross-border migrants in the Americas yearn for better socioeconomic conditions. In 2021 alone, more than five million migrants were registered in the continent, according to data from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
The unfortunate thing is that, because of their desperation, thousands of them die of suffocation, drowning and massacres, especially in the Darien Gap, located between Colombia and Panama, and on the border with the United States.
More than 6.000 migrants have been reported missing or dead in the Americas from 2014 to today, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Sixty percent of the deaths took place on the U.S. – Mexico border. While some 1.750 people died by drowning, in the Rio Bravo, the natural border between Mexico and the United States; the lack of water, food and a place to stay, cost the lives of 861 people. Other migrants were victims of violence, accidents or died because they were traveling in subhuman conditions.
Another problem people face is that, crossing the continent with their belongings and families in tow, they become victims of criminal groups. It has been proven that many of them suffer extortion, sexual violence and robbery.
Changes in Migration Dynamics
According to Maureen Meyer, an official of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), migration dynamics have changed due to the strong economic impact caused by the pandemic. This has resulted in migration not only of Central Americans and Mexicans, but also of South Americans and Haitians.
Other variations observed is that migrants are not only considering the United States as an option to fulfill their «American dream». Other destinations such as Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica, Chile, Canada and Brazil, have become important migratory destinations, so explained William Spindler, UNHCR spokesperson for Latin America to DW.
Source: DW