By Gisela Salomon -
The Associated Press
The United States, Panama and Colombia will focus their efforts to stop the increasing flow of migrants through the dangerous jungle of the Darien on arresting the leaders of human trafficking networks, Katie Robin, director of cross-border affairs for the National Security Council, said Thursday. from the White House.
The operation, which will also include an expansion of the legal channels to receive migrants in the United States, is part of a 60-day campaign focused on the Darién, through which almost 90,000 people have crossed in the first three months of the year.
According to the UN, in 2023 some 400,000 migrants passed through that jungle.
"We're going to focus on increasing arrests and prosecutions," Robin said, "we're going to try to increase the official presence in that corridor."
Haitian migrants on their way to Panama through the Darien Gap in Acandi, Colombia, in September 2021. Mauricio Dueñas Castañeda / EFE
The US government plans to end on May 11 the rule known as Title 42, approved in March 2020 by former President Donald Trump to deny the right to asylum at the border hiding behind the coronavirus health emergency.
A “wrong” viral video made hundreds of users believe that the US will not expel migrants until
Title 42 expires]
Lobin said that the issue of Title 42 h was resolved at the meeting in Panama and, since the United States is working with all the countries of the region to prepare for and prevent
an increase in the irregular flow of migrants.
after the end of this policy. The plan in the Darién has three elements: the campaign against human trafficking, the expansion of legal channels to welcome migrants, and the investment to generate better conditions in the countries of origin, yee the population does not want to emigrate to the US
“
We fall into the trap out of desperation”.
As
E
support migrants seeking a sponsor for the humanitarian 'parole'
]
LoA are working on the details and will reveal them soon, Robin said.
She explained, however, that panontral human trafficking efforts will be led by Panama and Colombia.
The United States, for its part, will offer support in the same way it does with other security issues in the region.
This includes logistics, planning and transportation assistance, information sharing and intelligence issues, Robin added.
The United States is also trying to increase its humanitarian assistance in Colombia and Panama and is exploring legal ways so that migrants who are leaving their countries to the north of Darién can do so in an orderly and planned manner.
The impressive images of the bus destroyed after the accident where dozens of migrants died in Panama
Feb 15, 202300:31
Among these legal paths, the official mentioned the
expansion of programs for refugees,
employment pathways or family reunification.
In addition, the United States is asking other countries in the region to contribute, Robin said, citing as an example a recent initiative by Canada to legally welcome an additional 15,000 people from the Americas this year.
According to Namá, more than 87,000 migrants crossed the Darién in the first three months of the year, mainly from
Venezuela, Haiti and Ecuador.
This is about 14,000 more people than in the same period of the previous year.
In 2022, a record 250,000 migrants crossed the jungle, 60% of them Venezuelans.
The UN estimates that 400,000 migrants will cross the Darien jungle in 2023.
Faced with this increase, the Biden government used Title 42 to prevent Venezuelans from seeking asylum at the border.
Instead, it announced that it would accept up to 24,000 Venezuelans arriving by plane after receiving approval for an entry application submitted in advance through a mobile application.
Migrants, mostly Venezuelans, cross a river during their journey through the Darien Gap from Colombia to Panama, hoping to reach the United States, on October 15, 2022. Fernando Vergara / AP
The program, which was first implemented for Ukrainians, was later expanded to include Nicaraguans, Haitians and Cubans this year, and Robin cited it as an example of what has been done to reduce the irregular arrival of migrants.
“We hope to be able to build on that effort as we work to also address irregular migration to the Darién,” he concluded.