Takeaways from AP's reporting on Chinese migrants who traverse the Darien Gap to reach the US

Source: Associated Press

Takeaways from AP’s reporting on Chinese migrants who traverse the Darién Gap to reach the US

BY ELLIOT SPAGAT AND DIDI TANG
Updated 12:23 AM EDT, October 30, 2023

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The U.S. is seeing a big increase in Chinese immigrants arriving using a relatively new and perilous route through Panama’s Darién Gap jungle, thanks in part to social media posts and videos providing step-by-step guidance.

Chinese people were the fourth-highest nationality, after Venezuelans, Ecuadorians and Haitians, crossing the Darién Gap during the first nine months of this year, according to Panamanian immigration authorities. Chinese migrants using this route fly to Ecuador and then make their way north to the U.S.-Mexico border.

Chinese migrants interviewed by The Associated Press said they are seeking to escape an increasingly repressive political climate and bleak economic prospects.

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HOW MANY CHINESE MIGRANTS ARE COMING THROUGH THE DARIÉN GAP?

The monthly number of Chinese migrants crossing the Darién has been rising gradually, from 913 in January to 2,588 in September. For the first nine months of this year, Panamanian immigration authorities registered 15,567 Chinese citizens crossing the Darién. By comparison, 2,005 Chinese people trekked through the jungle in 2022, and just 376 in total from 2010 to 2021.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/us-china-migration-takeaways-049ee646dc457f3499c989dda20fae1c