Reverse migration: Venezuelans head back toward South America after US dreams dashed

By Enea Lebrun

Dozens of Venezuelan migrants boarded small boats on an island off the Caribbean coast of Panama on Monday, setting off towards Colombia by sea as part of a reverse migration of families who have given up trying to reach the United States.

At least six boats, each with more than a dozen people aboard, departed the island of Gardi Sugdub in the San Blas Archipelago off the coast of Panama, aiming to reach Playa Miel near the Colombian border. From there, the migrants explained that they planned to continue their southbound journey until arriving home in their native Venezuela.

Fabiola Rodriguez, a Venezuelan migrant who reached Mexico but was unable to enter the United States, was among dozens who waited to board the small boats over the weekend.

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She said that a lack of clarity from Panamanian officials about repatriation options forced her and others to make their way home on their own, despite the costs and the dangers.

A Venezuelan girl died over the weekend, after one of these boats shipwrecked with more than a dozen migrants on board, according to Panamanian authorities.

Daniel Gonzalez, a Venezuelan man traveling with his wife, daughter, and niece, said that they would rather be in Venezuela than in another country in the region, such as Mexico or Costa Rica. On Sunday, he and his family waited at the port of Niga Kantule for a boat that would take them to Gardi Sugdub island.

"Of course, we wanted to reach the United States to have a better life," he said. "But that wasn't possible."

The reverse migration follows U.S. President Donald Trump's crackdown on unlawful migration, including a broad ban on asylum in addition to the elimination of his predecessor's humanitarian parole programs, which had offered some migrants legal pathways to enter the United States.