Photo: Rescate de migrantes por la fragata ‘Santa María’. By: Ministerio de Defensa. Source: Flickr.
On July 4th, the Colombian Navy rescued 30 Chinese migrants, 4 women, and 26 men near Cabo Tiburón in the department of Chocó. This happened as they were attempting to cross into Panama. The suspicious vessel was intercepted by Colombian authorities in the Gulf of Urabá. The Chinese citizens were placed under the custody of the Migration Colombia office. “Upon reaching a safe port, the health condition of the rescued foreigners was verified, and later they were placed under the care of Migration Colombia,” detailed the Navy. Meanwhile, the three Colombian crew members were arrested and will face charges for human trafficking.
The increase in migration towards Panama through the Darien jungle – the border area with Colombia – has reached unprecedented numbers in recent years, with 196,370 irregular migrants in the first semester of 2023, a significant increase compared to previous years. Additionally, it is warned that April was the month with the highest number of travelers entering Panama through the jungle in their irregular journey towards North America, with 40,297 people, which is 6.5 times more than the 6,134 in the same month of 2022. This increase is attributed to economic, political, and climate crises, as well as violence in different nations.
Top headline:
Newsroom Infobae. (2023, julio 4). Rescatados 30 migrantes de origen chino cuando trataban de cruzar de Colombia a Panamá.
Find out more:
El Tiempo. Rescatan a 30 migrantes asiáticos en aguas del golfo de Urabá, cerca de Chocó.