They once braved the jungles of the Darien Gap, trekking days along the perilous migrant passage dividing Colombia and Panama with a simple goal: seek asylum in the U.S.

Now, boat-by-boat, those migrants – mainly from the Andean nations of Venezuela and Colombia – have given up after President Donald Trump’s crackdown on asylum, and are returning to the countries they once sought to escape.

“ When Trump arrived and eliminated the application (CBP One) all our hopes went up in smoke,” said Karla Castillo, a 36-year-old Venezuelan traveling with her younger sister.

It’s part of what authorities call a “reverse flow” of migrants. The speed boats depart from a rural swathe of Panama and cross the seas in packs, hopping island to island until they reach the northern tip of Colombia.

  • Cyrus Draegur@lemm.eeEnglish
    101·
    7 days ago

    I imagine the conservatives in the US will be very pleased to see stories like this one.

    In fact, some of them have told me exactly what they wanted to see happen years ago, and described this exact scenario.

    Personally I had many other reasons to oppose the new administration and voted against it for those reasons; I didn’t really have a stake in this particular area of policy. I’m not pleased with anything the trump administration is doing, including this.

    People give up trying to migrate to the US and instead staying in the countries they’re from makes me wonder what knock-on effects it will have in those countries though. Will mortality rates increase? Will there be increased strife now that people have to fight in light of flight no longer being an option? They can no longer choose to peacefully remove themselves from the conflict.

    As a resident of the united states, I have considered the option of evacuating this place but have come to accept that it is not going to be an option for me. So I find myself wondering if I myself shall also be forced into violent conflict when/if I might have to defend my household from brownshirts, fully cognizant of the fact that I am outnumbered and outgunned and almost definitely not going to succeed in protecting my home without being overwhelmed and slain where I stand, nor taking nearly enough of them with me to make a difference in the long run.

    They don’t want to contend with violent gangs the local authorities are either unable or unwilling to stop? Well, I’m about to be in that situation too. Wish me luck.