The Darien Gap, a dangerous jungle that separates Colombia and Panama, has been a major obstacle for migrants seeking to reach the United States. In 2021, President Joe Biden’s border chief, Alejandro Mayorkas, announced a plan to build a humanitarian corridor through the gap, with the cooperation of Panama and Colombia. The plan was intended to provide safe passage and medical assistance for migrants, as well as to deter smugglers and human traffickers.
However, the plan has backfired, as more migrants have been encouraged to take the risky journey through the gap, overwhelming the border management plans of the Biden administration. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 60,000 migrants crossed the Darien Gap in 2021, a 10-fold increase from 2019. Many of them suffered from injuries, illnesses, and violence along the way.
In response to this crisis, Breitbart is reporting that Mayorkas has decided to shut down the humanitarian corridor and to increase border security and cooperation with Panama and Colombia. The news was announced yesterday in a Trilateral Joint Statement issued by jointly by Panama, Columbia, and Mayorkas, who said that the corridor was not sustainable and that it was sending the wrong message to potential migrants. He also said that the United States would continue to support the humanitarian needs of migrants in the region, but that it would also “enforce its immigration laws and deter illegal crossings.”
Yeah, right. “Wrong message,” indeed.
For more, see Breitbart News.