A nation in South America issues a migration "surge" warning.

The government of Panama is raising the alarm about the surging number of migrants from South America, who are crossing from Colombia through the Darien Gap. In the first two months of 2023, almost 50,0000 people crossed into Panama via the so-called Darien Gap, five times the number recorded the same time last year. If the trend continues, the Panamanian government expects as many as 400,000 crossings this year. Panama has launched a TikTok campaign to educate potential migrants about the horrors of the Darien, in order to encourage them to take safer routes. The minister was also concerned about the environmental damage to the nature preserve, which is "the most sacred and most protected ancestral area" for the Embera, Guna and Wounaan indigenous peoples.

Tewaney, whose parents emigrated from India, wants more organized migration and US help to address the "lack of opportunities" in the countries migrants come from. Haiti, which is experiencing political and social turmoil, accounts for over a third of Darien crossings this year. Chinese migrants also arrived in January and February, more than in all of 2022. Panama spent $50 million last year sheltering and feeding the migrants and is "working closely" with the US to manage the border. Colombia is a major US ally in the region, but Washington is not working with Bogota to secure the border.

President Joe Biden's administration has refused to describe the situation as a crisis and insists the border is safe and secure. Vice President Kamala Harris was tasked with working on "root causes" of the migration crisis in March 2021.