The surge in migration from South America to the US-Mexico border is expected to bring a rise in sexual violence, particularly among women and girls, as advocates warn. According to Alícia Fàbregas’ report for Al Jazeera, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) treated 397 cases of sexual violence in the Darién Gap in 2023, a vital migration route connecting Colombia to Panama. This number represents a significant increase from the previous year’s total of 180 cases, with 59 cases reported in just one week. The majority of survivors were adult women, but shockingly, 6 percent were minors, some as young as 11.
Magdalena Bautista, the head of the Centre for Justice for Women in Baja California, noted a rise in the demand for services in 2023. While 47 migrant women sought assistance from the center after experiencing sexual violence in 2022, the number increased to nearly 60 this year.
