The number of people arriving in the treacherous Darien Gap linking Panama with Colombia soared in April and early May, Panamanian government data shows, dealing a blow to U.S. efforts to curb undocumented migration to the north.
According to figures from Panama's Security Ministry seen by Reuters on Tuesday, 40,297 migrants reached Panama through the jungle connecting it with Colombia in April, up more than six times from the same time last year.
Numbers have kept rising, with 16,246 crossings during the first nine days of May, already surpassing the total of that month in 2022, reinforcing fears among authorities of a rise in migrant flows to the United States as its COVID-19 restrictions known as Title 42 are lifted.
