SAN DIEGO -- Midnight on the remote beach of Capurgana, Colombia, was so dark that Wang Zhongwei could not see his own hands in front of his face. About 20 people got into a large wooden canoe as waves battered the sand. This boat ride would take the group into the notorious Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama, through which migrants will trek for days in the jungle toward the U.S. border.
Chinese migrants' encounters with U.S. border authorities were 10 times higher in 2023 than in pre-pandemic years. The economic slowdown back home coupled with human rights concerns is prompting many to seek new lives in America. © Reuters
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