The number is twice as high as the total number of crossings in 2022.

The severity of the crisis was emphasized by Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

He stated that the obstacles presented by the large-scale migration in the Americas are daunting. No single country is capable of handling them on their own.

He emphasized the importance of collaborating with all involved parties and taking a route-based approach to address issues at each stage of the process in order to effectively tackle them.

Filled with peril

The Darién Gap encompasses over 575,000 hectares of dense and difficult tropical forest along the Panama-Colombia border. This area has become a dangerous path for individuals seeking to migrate, seek refuge, or seek asylum from South America to North America.

Those who attempt to make the journey face serious risks such as illness, environmental hazards, sexual and gender-based violence, theft, and abduction.

Many people also become victims of human traffickers who take advantage of the vulnerable situation of migrants, forcing them to pay large amounts of money.

Many individuals who are migrating originate from Venezuela, Haiti, and Ecuador, along with other nations in South America and the Caribbean. There are also those who come from more distant regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

Find safe pathways

The United Nations organizations emphasized the significance of increasing opportunities for refugee resettlement and legal migration as a means of preserving lives and utilizing the contributions of refugees and migrants for development.

Amy Pope, Director-General of IOM, stated that migrants and refugees have a significant impact on development and contribute to the growth of more diverse and resilient communities and societies.

She stated that the international community needs to provide more assistance to host countries in order to improve their national services and offer opportunities for integration, allowing people to achieve stability and refrain from undertaking perilous journeys.

The agencies cautioned that hindering avenues for legal migration would result in individuals resorting to riskier methods, increasing the profitability of trafficking. They also warned of the consequences of restrictive policies that impede the ability to seek asylum.

Source: news.un.org