Hundreds of U.S.-bound migrants stuck in Caribbean region
Approximately 700 migrants bound for the United States remain stranded in the Caribbean seas following Colombia’s staunch decision to have its borders closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in its territory.
Some of the stranded migrants include 647 Haitian nationals, 23 Cubans, and 19 other migrants from African countries, according to a Reuters report. They are currently on the beaches of Necocli, a municipality in Colombia’s Antioquia province.
Migration agency director Juan Francisco Espinosa revealed that this area is part of the long itinerary of the migrants towards the so-called land of the free. From Colombia, they hope to pass through the dangerous Darian Gap towards Panama and then north towards the United States.
This is not the only batch of migrants that got stranded in the Caribbean waters. In fact, last week more than 500 migrants have arrived in Necocli, demanding they be allowed to travel to Panama.
“This isn’t possible because there is a presidential order to close the borders and additionally Panama has also closed its borders,” Espinosa said, and assured that in spite of this, the migrants will receive humanitarian aid.
In the latest data of coronavirus infections of the World Health Organisation, Colombia has recorded a total number of 2,055,305 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 52,523 deaths.
Meanwhile, the border controls with Ecuador will have stricter rules imposed to prevent more immigrants from entering Colombia.
Since March 2020, the 50-million strong nation of Colombia has closed its land and river borders, a measure that will be kept place until at least March 1 this year. Furthermore, it deported some 3,800 illegal migrants last year, the majority from Haiti, according to agency statistics.
Migrants from Cuba, African and Asian countries are also detained in Colombia as they look to travel to the United States with help from people-trafficking networks.
When the 2021 started, four Haitians – a man, a pregnant woman and two children – drowned after their vessel malfunctioned between Necocli and Capurgana, a Colombian Caribbean resort from where they intended to travel to Panama.
As per Reuters, Espinosa disclosed that migration authorities, with help from the military and police, captured 198 people traffickers in recent months and dismantled 60 trafficking networks.