Negative views of China, with more Chinese being targeted by the US across the perilous Darien Gap | Migration
COLOQUIA, NICOCULI – About a dozen Chinese immigrants left the Hotel Mansion del Darien, which is located a few blocks from Colombia’s Caribbean coast, just after eight in the morning, and crammed themselves into three tuk-tuks that were waiting on the street. Completed.
Gabriela Fernandez, the front desk receptionist, observed, “We’re full of Chinese people every day,” as she passed past the front desk holding a clipboard. Large clusters of them constantly arrive and depart together. This is how things have been for several months.
Mandarin-written signs behind it detail the hotel’s policies and rates. Bottles of water and pots of spicy instant noodles imported from China are for sale. Payments can be made via the ChineseA group of middle-aged tourists are outfitted for a hike; they have walking poles, tents, and hats on. However, not everything is equal. Many have on airy Crocs sneakers, and plastic bags have been tied around their tiny backpacks.
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The beginning point for traversing the Darien Gap, a densely populated and hostile rainforest region that serves as a migration hub for people attempting to reach the United States, is located here, in the seaside town of Nikkoli, close to the Panamanian border. It has grown significantly.
As to the data gathered by the Panamanian government, approximately 500,000 migrants traversed the perilous Darien route in 2023, which is the sole land route connecting South America with North America. Of these immigrants, slightly more than 25,000 were Chinese, making them the fourth largest”This is a new element that was not there in previous years,” indicated Giuseppe Loprete, head of the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) mission in Panama. IOM is a United Nations organization that offers information to migrants who are trying to pass the Darien Gap. It’s both a long trip and a large number of individuals. Trafficking networks profit greatly from this.
Unlike many other prevalent nationalities in Darien, such Venezuelans and Haitians, Chinese immigrants frequently go via special “VIP” routes through the jungle that are escorted by operatives of the Gulf Clan, Colombia’s largest drug organization. Guides are quicker and do the same.and less strict than most basic routes for higher fees.
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They are able to explore the Caribbean and Pacific coasts by boat, on foot, and occasionally even on horseback.Smugglers in Nikkoli informed Al Jazeera that although the least expensive routes through Darien cost about $350, there were more direct routes along the coast of Panama that went through towns like Quito and welcomed migrants from Panama. It costs $850 to enter one of the centers.
After all that expenditure, migrants still have to travel through the remaining parts of Central America to reach the US-Mexico border, where they will encounter violence, theft, and corruption.
“What makes us wish to visit America?”
Al Jazeera spent two days in Necocli, where they observed dozens of Chinese migrants—including engineers, teachers, and computer programmers—getting ready for their journey.
Wu Xiaohua, 42, was waiting on the beach with a companion to take a boat to Panama when he said he selected one ofare excited about Zhaohua, a cab driver originally from Hunan Province, traveled to Shanghai to work, but life has been difficult since the outbreak.
He claimed that our nation’s economy is facing serious challenges. We must survive; there is no other option. That is why we would like to go to America. “Our needs are very simple: we can afford medical treatment, have a place to live, our children can afford to go to school and our family can be safe.”
One immigrant, Huang, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed that he departed Beijing two months ago when his employment as a masseuse was terminated by China’s stringent COVID-19 lockdown. barely made it through each day.
Huang declared, “I sold everything I had.””It’s political and economic uncertainty,” Min Zhou, an Asian American studies and sociology professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, explained. “China’s economy is now growing more slowly. There is unhappiness with the government’s stringent policies and a rise in unemployment.
Al Jazeera spoke with dissident artist and campaigner Ai Weiwei, who left China in 2015 after facing persecution, and she said the pattern indicated a loss of faith in the administration.
He claimed that the majority of Chinese citizens are extremely hesitant to leave their houses. “This incident of people going through the agony of climbing into the rainforest, dragging their children with them, is the first of its kind.”
Immigrants from China are especially at risk.
US Customs and Border claims thatTens of thousands of dollars and several months of cross-continental travel can be required for a trip from China. Many travel to Addis Ababa or Istanbul, which causes logistical issues, and then Ecuador, one of the few Latin American nations that grants Chinese nationals admission without a visa. From then, the treacherous voyage is mostly taken by land to the Darien and ultimately the Americas.
Chinese immigrants are especially vulnerable, according to Lopret. They can be targeted because they are perceived as being wealthier. In addition, the language barrier makes it more difficult for them to get medical attention in the event of an emergency.”
Chinese migrants are frequently exploited by traffickers while traveling, Lupret continued. Robberies and beatings are also frequent among the lawless Panamanians.In response to inquiries about whether it was supporting its citizens in Darien, the Chinese embassy in Panama sent the following statement via email to Al Jazeera: “China strongly opposes any illegal immigration activities.” does, stifles it, and actively takes part in global collaboration in this area.
Zhou, who oversees a study on recently arrived Chinese immigrants in Los Angeles, says that there are significant differences between the current surge of undocumented Chinese nationals and the migration wave that occurred in the 1980s and 1990s.
