The US is deporting illegal immigrants. On Wednesday, 104 Indians also arrived in India on a US military plane. To reach the US illegally, immigrants have to cross several countries, including the dangerous Darien Gap, a vast, roadless wilderness. It is also fraught with death. The Darien Gap is a 97-km stretch of dense jungle, swamps and mountains between the borders of Colombia and Panama. It is the only stop on the Pan-American Highway, a road route that stretches from Alaska to Argentina. Many immigrants continue to use this route to reach the US. Especially those traveling from South America to the US use this route.
Those crossing the Darien Gap face steep hills, muddy swamps, fast-flowing rivers and dangerous wildlife. Poisonous snakes, jaguars and deadly insects are found in this forest. However, the biggest threat comes from the criminal organizations that control this route. Drug smugglers and armed groups extort money from migrants, rob them or use violence against them. This dangerous route used to reach the US is also known as the ‘death route’.
Many Indians trying to enter the US illegally take a route known as the ‘donkey route’. It involves traveling to Central American countries such as Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Guatemala, where visas are easy to obtain. From there they travel to Mexico and then try to enter the US, often with the help of coyotes (human smugglers), who charge thousands of dollars for the dangerous crossing.
According to the report, this method is becoming increasingly popular because strict visa regulations have made direct air routes to the US difficult. Smugglers, mafia gangs and organized crime groups exploit these migrants, promising them a safe journey but often leaving them in life-threatening conditions.
Number of migrants crossing the Darien Gap and number of deaths
In 2023, more than 5.2 lakh migrants made the journey. This number is more than double the previous year. The report quoted Reuters as saying that by 2024, this number would have crossed 3 lakh, although the flow of migrants towards the North American continent through the Darien Gap has recorded a sharp decline in 2024 due to restrictions.
In 2024, a total of 3,02,203 people risked crossing this dangerous jungle between Colombia and Panama. Most of them were trying to migrate to the United States.
According to data from the Panama National Migration Service (SNM), this figure represents a 42% drop compared to the record figure of 520,085 last year.
Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino presented figures showing a decrease in migrant traffic through his territory in the first week of January. “We are working every day to ensure that the flow of illegal immigrants does not reach Panama City or the rest of the country,” he said.
A decade ago, only a few thousand people attempted the crossing each year. Today, it has become a high-risk migration route, with people from Venezuela, Haiti, Ecuador, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India making the perilous journey. The journey lasts seven to 15 days, during which migrants face food and water shortages, disease and widespread crime. Many do not survive.
312 migrants were reported killed or missing in the Darien Gap between 2015-2022, and 229 more deaths are expected between 2021 and 2023. In 2023 alone, MSF (Medicine Sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders) treated 676 victims of sexual abuse, with 233 cases reported in early 2024.
Overcrowded shelters lack essentials such as food, water and medical care, leaving many migrants stranded.
The famous ‘donkey’ route to Canada and other routes
• Agents obtain legitimate Canadian visas through fake university admissions or work permits.
• The individuals concerned live in Canada’s frigid border areas for months.
• At the right time, agents help them cross the border, which is just a kilometer away.
Cost: Rs 80 lakh
Via Turkey
• Agents obtain a U.K. visa on the basis of a work permit, under which travelers enter Turkey via an e-visa and stay there for 90 days.
• During this time, they are sent to a safe Central American country, where they stay anywhere from a week to a year.
• When the time is right, agents help them enter the U.S.
Cost: Rs 80-90 lakh
Via Latin American and African countries
• Agents send migrants to Dubai, Indonesia or Malaysia, where they stay on a valid tourist visa.
• In some cases, they are sent to African countries, where they stay for a few months. From there, they are sent on chartered flights to Latin American countries such as Bolivia, Guyana, Ecuador and Nicaragua. These countries have the facility of ‘visa on arrival’.
• Individuals reach Mexico on foot, crossing difficult paths through forests or waterways.
Duration: Average 6 to reach the US
It takes months.
Cost: Rs 70-75 lakh
Youngsters still willing to take risks
Despite US efforts to curb illegal immigration and reports of possible deportation of Indians, the demand for youth from Punjab and Haryana to go to the US is still high, travel agents from Punjab and Haryana said on condition of anonymity. Despite stringent policies and the prospect of future deportation, young people from both states are willing to take dangerous and illegal routes to enter the United States. The demand for US visas, even through informal channels, is as high as ever. Many youth from Punjab and Haryana are not averse to taking risks for better opportunities.
