Panama is both a common place of transit as well as a popular destination for migrants in the Americas. In recent years, the country has become one of the primary receiving nations of Venezuelan migrants, with an estimated population of 94,600 Venezuelans as of February 2020. Most of the refugees and migrants from Venezuela are concentrated in the Provinces of Panama and Panama Oeste, especially in the more urban environments of these provinces. Although there has been a migratory flow of Venezuelans to Panama for approximately 10 years, the number increased significantly in 2015. The flow of Venezuelan migrants has decreased since mid-2017, however, due to the introduction of a stamped visa requirement. According to a 2019 study by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the majority of Venezuelan migrants in Panama are adults with a high level of education and strong capacity to contribute to the Panamanian economy.

In addition to the flow of migrants arriving from Venezuela, Panama experiences a unique migratory situation along its borders with Colombia and Costa Rica – where migrants from a variety of nationalities cross through the country as they travel north. The number of migrants crossing from Colombia into the Darien region in Panama in the last month reached unusually high levels, possibly indicating that migration flows in the region could significantly increase in 2020. According to Panama’s National Migration Service (SNM), 1,547 migrants entered the dangerous, heavily forested and mostly undeveloped border region in January 2020, compared to just 698 in the same month last year. At this rate, more than 36,000 migrants could pass through the region by the end of 2020, while a total of 23,968 entered in 2019. More than 1,100 of those who arrived in January were from Haiti, but the overall migrant community in Darien is very diverse; arrivals in January represented over 27 nationalities from the Caribbean, South America, Asia and Africa.

The migrants in Darien—most of whom aim to reach North America—travel through South American countries such as Guyana, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru before smugglers guide them through the Gap. Many endure robberies and/or violence by armed groups as they move through the jungle. The journey can take six to eight days when conditions are good, and ten days or more during the rainy season. Once through the Gap, most migrants pass through the small village of Bajo Chiquito before making their way by foot or by boat along the Chucunaque River to La Peñita, where they are processed by the Panamanian government at a Migratory Reception Station (ERM). Migrants typically stay in Darien anywhere from 4 days to 4 months, depending on their migration status and country of origin. From Los Planes, migrants are temporarily held in a government run shelter before crossing into Costa Rica on their journey north.

The characteristics of the migrant population passing through Darien have changed in recent months. According to a recent UNICEF report, the migrant profile in the region has changed from mainly extracontinental men seeking economic opportunity in North America to families with children and pregnant women fleeing poverty, exclusion and conflict. A majority of the children and adolescents arriving in Darien are Haitians with Chilean or Brazilian nationality. The number of children and adolescents crossing through the region increased from 522 in 2018 to 3,956 in 2019. A total of 340 minors were registered in Darien in January 2020, compared to 131 in January 2019. Based on this pattern, it is estimated that for 2020 there will be an increase in the number of migrant children and adolescents passing through the region.

Several factors—such as civil unrest, tightened entry requirements in South American countries, and changing economic conditions—may contribute to an increase or decrease in the number of people crossing into Panama through the Darien Gap. The primary determining factor, however, is the transition from rainy to dry seasons. During the dry season (from December/January to May/June), decreased rain leads to better crossing conditions in jungle. As water levels in rivers and streams decrease, the journey through the Gap becomes less perilous and the number of migrants passing through the jungle typically increases. Vulnerable groups such as children, infants and pregnant women are more likely to attempt the crossing during this time period. During the rainy season, on the other hand, conditions in the dense rainforest become especially hazardous. As a result, the number of migrants in Darien peaked last year in June and July, as people rushed to get through the Gap before water levels rose due to heavy rainfall.