More than 14,000 people, primarily Venezuelans, have abandoned their hopes of reaching the United States and are heading back south since Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown took effect, according to a report backed by the UN human rights office. The report, published by the governments of Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica, highlights a phenomenon known as “reverse flow” migration.
The vast majority of those turning back are Venezuelans who fled their country’s prolonged economic, social and political crises, only to find that the US is no longer open to asylum seekers. Migration through the perilous Darién Gap, which peaked at over 500,000 crossings in 2023, has plummeted by 97% this year, the report found.
Interviews conducted in Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia revealed that 97% of those travelling south were Venezuelans, with about half planning to return to Venezuela. Nearly all cited the inability to legally reach the US as their reason for reversing course. Under the Biden administration, a government smartphone app had been the main route for asylum seekers, but Trump ended its use on his first day in office, leaving thousands stranded in Mexico.
“Most of these people are already victims of human rights abuses,” said Scott Campbell, a UN human rights representative in Colombia. “We urge authorities to aid people in this reverse migration to prevent them from being exploited or falling into trafficking networks run by illegal armed groups.” The report notes that those returning face heightened vulnerability, with fewer funds, precarious transport options, and exposure to criminal gangs in regions with little state presence.
Travellers heading south typically journey by bus through Mexico and Central America to Panama, then pay between $260 and $280 for hazardous boat trips to Colombia. Two main routes are used: one through the Caribbean Sea to the town of Necoclí, and another via the Pacific Ocean to remote towns or Buenaventura, one of Colombia’s most violent areas. The UN documented cases of migrants being scammed, stranded, and victims of boat accidents.
The reverse flow marks a dramatic shift in one of the world’s largest mass migrations. Since 2017, around 8 million people have left Venezuela, initially settling in neighbouring South American countries before a surge towards the US from 2021. Colombia, once the primary destination for Venezuelan migrants, is now a waypoint for many heading back, though a quarter of those interviewed were unsure of their final destination.
