Thousands of mostly Haitian migrants traverse Panama on their way to the United States

In September 2021, up to 4,000 migrants—primarily Haitian nationals—journeyed through the dangerous Darién Gap connecting Colombia and Panama on their trek toward North America. The surge highlighted growing pressure on regional migration corridors following compounding political and economic crises in Haiti and South America. Panamanian border authorities and local reception sites faced significant logistics and humanitarian challenges as migrant flows rapidly escalated. The movement underscored the perils faced by families crossing lawless jungle terrain to seek asylum or work in the United States.