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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Matas Delacroix

Photos of Panamanians who say their migrant-related businesses have dried up

Panama Migration Boom and Bust - (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The Trump administration’s crackdown on migration has ended the massive flow of people heading north through a treacherous jungle on the Colombia-Panama border called the Darien Gap. Local residents who gave up their crops to make good money supporting the migrants say the business has disappeared. Some had transformed their lives by installing electricity in their homes or funding their children’s education. Now many are struggling. Some seek work in Panama City. Others have returned to farming or dream of panning for gold. And some hope the next U.S. administration will change its migration policies once again.

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