BOGOTA

Panama is considering closing its land border with neighboring Colombia because of an increase in irregular migrants entering in recent months, according to the government.

The number of migrants crossing the Darien Gap, which connects the two countries and consists of forests, is increasing rapidly, Panama said in a statement.

It highlighted the slow work of international cooperation mechanisms and inadequate measures by Colombian authorities and said the possibility of closing the border to prevent irregular migration flow is on the table.

Public Security Minister Juan Manuel Pino said 307,000 people have entered illegally in 2023.

"The number of irregular migrants has reached a record level, we are in search of international cooperation,” he said.

He noted that measures taken in the face of intense human mobility are insufficient and said between 2,000 and 3,000 enter the country daily.

The Darien Gap is a transit point for migrants who are escaping poverty, widespread violence and are expecting to find better opportunities in North America. They frequently, however, find death in the mountains, swamps, rivers and precipitous ravines of the lawless jungle.

Panama receives travelers at migration stations located near its southern border with Colombia and the northern border with Costa Rica, where they are offered health care and food.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar