Panama City, Panama – March 28, 2025 – Migrant crossings through the Darien Gap, a 60-mile stretch of jungle between Colombia and Panama, have dropped to their lowest levels since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Panama’s immigration authorities. Data from Migración Panama indicates that only 100 migrants crossed the route this week, a 99% decrease from the 37,000 recorded in the same period last year.
The Darien Gap, the only land bridge connecting South and Central America, has long been a perilous migration route for those seeking to reach the United States. In 2023, a record 520,000 people traversed the jungle, facing dense rainforests, steep mountains, and criminal groups. The majority of these migrants were from Venezuela, Haiti, and Ecuador, driven by economic collapse, political instability, and violence in their home countries. However, crossings began to decline in mid-2024, with a 40% reduction to 300,000 for the year, following Panama’s implementation of stricter border controls under President José Raúl Mulino, who took office in July.
The recent sharp decline coincides with heightened U.S. immigration policies under President Donald Trump, who returned to office in January 2025. Panama’s government has credited the drop to a combination of its own measures—such as closing certain jungle routes, installing razor wire fences, and increasing deportations—and U.S. support. A July 2024 agreement between Panama and the U.S. saw the latter fund repatriation efforts for migrants entering Panama illegally. U.S. border patrol statistics also show an 82% decrease in illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border in February, with 8,347 arrests compared to 47,330 in December 2024, suggesting a broader regional impact.
Panama’s Security Minister Frank Abrego stated that biometric screening has helped identify migrants with criminal histories, deterring crossings. The government has also removed several non-governmental organizations from migrant camps, a move that has sparked debate. Critics argue that this limits humanitarian aid, potentially increasing risks for those who still attempt the journey. “The Darien Gap remains a dangerous route, and reducing support without addressing root causes may push migrants into even riskier paths,” said Maria Torres, a migration analyst in Bogotá.
Historically, the Darien Gap has been a focal point for migration due to its position as the only break in the Pan-American Highway, a 19,000-mile road network from Alaska to Argentina. A decade ago, annual crossings numbered in the low thousands, but by 2023, the route saw over 40 times that amount, driven by regional crises and tightened visa restrictions in countries like Mexico, which pushed migrants to travel overland. The journey, often lasting 7 to 15 days, exposes migrants to natural hazards, disease, and violence from groups like Colombia’s Gulf Clan, which has profited from smuggling operations.
The current decline has been hailed by some as a success of enforcement policies. U.S. officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, have pointed to the drop as evidence of effective border security, noting that daily encounters at the U.S. border have fallen by as much as 94% on some days. However, analysts caution that the underlying drivers of migration—poverty, violence, and political instability—remain unaddressed. Some reports indicate that migrants may be shifting to alternative routes, such as Caribbean sea crossings, to avoid the Darien Gap.
President Mulino has emphasized the need for continued U.S. support, stating that the Darien Gap is effectively the “true U.S. border” in the region. Without sustained funding and cooperation, he warned, crossings could rise again. For now, the dramatic reduction in Darien Gap crossings marks a shift in migration patterns, but the long-term impact on regional migration dynamics remains uncertain.
