Panama’s border police recently rescued a Venezuelan carpenter and his mother who had been stranded in the Darien jungle for over 21 days. Jalder López and his mother Lenny had hired a smuggler to take them to the United States in the hope of escaping dangers posed by the political situation in Venezuela. The smuggler abandoned them in the middle of the jungle, leaving them lost for 18 days before they were rescued. Now, they are en route to Texas but face uncertainty due to the US’s new restrictions on asylum.
The situation for migrants seeking asylum in the US is made even more perilous by the alleged abuse and xenophobia they face from both Mexican and US authorities. A recent fire in a migrant detention center in Ciudad Juárez claimed 39 lives, with many victims hailing from Venezuela, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Migrants detained in the city have accused Mexican and US authorities of several forms of abuse, from panhandling detention to family separations due to CBP One app appointments.
The app, introduced by the Biden administration as the US federal government prepares to end the Title 42 emergency health order on May 11, offers very few asylum appointments and can lead to family separation. Despite the Biden administration’s policy changes aimed at creating legal pathways for people to enter the US, many migrants continue to face obstacles, including increased deportations for those crossing the border unlawfully.
Venezuelan migrant Daimar Sandoval’s journey to the US was no less perilous, with the young woman crossing the Darien Gap on her way from Colombia to Panama. The journey through the region is considered one of the most dangerous migration routes globally, forcing migrants to traverse a jungle and swampy area separating the two countries for up to ten days. Despite receiving a permit to enter the US eventually, Sandoval was scammed by a fake nervice store and spent two days in jail before being released.
As the US’s Title 42 emergency health order ends, thousands of asylum seekers are gathering in Mexican border cities, awaiting their chance to cross into the US. For many, the journey has often been perilous and uncertain, with migrants facing extortion, dangerous crossings, and abuse from authorities at every turn. As the world continues to grapple with the challenges facing migrants around the world, advocates continue to push for better policies to protect vulnerable individuals seeking asylum.
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