The number of nationals from countries such as Afghanistan, China and Iran coming through the key immigration border between Panama and Colombia has increased dramatically over the past four years, according to a new report from a conservative group.
report A study by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which advocates for lower levels of immigration, looked at the increase in immigration through the Darien Gap over the past four years starting in 2021 compared to 2010-2020. This report was first obtained by Fox News Digital.
Citing Panama statistics, it was found that the number of Afghans passing through was 98 between 2010 and 2020, but increased to 8,294 between 2021 and 2024, an increase of 8,363%. . Meanwhile, the number of Chinese people increased from 299 to 39,921. Iranian arrivals increased from 14 to 935, and Syrian arrivals increased from 28 to 762.
U.S. pays for flights to help remove potential migrants heading north from Panama
Haitian migrants heading to Panama take a break after crossing the Darien Gorge near Acandi, Colombia, on their way to the United States, September 26, 2021. (Raul Arboleda/AFP via Getty Images)
Overall, the Darien Gap number increased from 115,758 people from 2010 to 2020 to 1.18 million people from 2021 to 2024.
Concerns about people from Afghanistan and China are growing in the United States. China is a geopolitical enemy of the United States, and Republicans have expressed concern about possible espionage and cyberattacks by Chinese Communist Party members who have infiltrated the United States.
“There are numerous documented cases of Chinese nationals engaging in espionage and stealing military and economic secrets at the direction of the Chinese Communist Party.” Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas; I said last year.
Meanwhile, concerns for the Afghan people have been highlighted after authorities thwarted an election-day terror plot planned by Afghans paroled by the US as part of the evacuation following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Ta.
The report blamed the crisis that hit Panama on the United States’ “open borders policy,” saying, “migrants from all over the world face long, expensive, and dangerous journeys to reach the ‘El Dorado’ that is the United States. “We encourage them to do so.” ”
“Migrants know that if they somehow manage to reach America’s porous borders, they have a good chance of being released into the country,” the paper claims.
As Panamanian immigration increases, access to the Darien jungle, a dangerous route for migrants, becomes easier
Migrants (mostly Venezuelans) cross a river on their journey through the Darien Gorge, October 15, 2022, in the hope of eventually reaching the United States. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Overall, it was found that between 2021 and 2024, at least 760,000 nationals of “special interest” countries were encountered in the Gap, including nationals with ties to Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations. Citing data from Panama, the report found that more than half of those who crossed were adult men.
The top nationalities crossing borders in 2024 were Venezuelans, Colombians, Ecuadorians, Chinese, and Haitians.
The region’s population rapidly increased from just over 6,000 in 2020 to more than 520,000 in 2023, decreasing to 286,000 in 2024. Panama signed the agreement after electing a new president in May who vowed to end illegal immigration through the region. Under the agreement with the United States, the U.S. government will pay for the repatriation of people who enter the country through Darien. gap.
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Under the agreement, the United States would provide equipment, transportation, and logistics assistance to Panama to repatriate immigrants caught in the country illegally. Meanwhile, migrant encounters at the U.S. border have plummeted, with encounters down more than 55% after President Biden signed a proclamation restricting asylum in the U.S. in June of this year.
Meanwhile, President-elect Trump has promised to tighten border security and launch a large-scale deportation operation after taking office.
FAIR said in its report that Panama will not be able to fully rectify the situation in the Darien Gap, even with U.S. aid.
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The magazine said, “Durable solutions to the Darien Gap crisis can only come from where the crisis originates: when American immigration policy stops inviting undocumented immigrants to make this perilous journey.” are.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
