Externalization and Criminalization of Migration in the Darién Gap: A Critical Study of Representations in Selected Migration Policies

Abstract

The Darién Gap, located at the Colombia-Panama border, remains the only unconstructed section of the Pan-American Highway, a project designed to connect the Americas from Alaska to Argentina (Yates & Pappier, 2023). Due to its harsh environmental conditions, it has historically acted as a natural boundary between South and Central America (O Girot, 2002). In recent years, however, the Gap has become a primary route for migration towards the United States (Pappier, 2023), prompting the governments of Panama, Colombia, and the United States to sign trilateral agreements aimed at regulating movement through the corridor. While recent studies have researched migration in this region such as the mobility regimes in the region (Cabrera García & Carrillo González, 2022; Trabalón, 2024) and the dangers faced by migrants crossing the Gap (Vargas-Villamizar, 2024). There is still limited research on the power dynamics shaping migration policies in Darién. The main aim of this research is to contribute to closing this academic gap by analyzing how migration is represented in three trilateral agreements signed between Panama, Colombia, and the United States (2023–2024). Through the study of these representations, I reveal the underlying power relationships that shape these policies. The theoretical perspectives that support this work draw from post-structuralism (Bacchi & Goodwin, 2016), dependency theory (Wallerstein, 2011; Quijano 2000; Mignolo, 2023), and a theoretical lens on the externalization of migration control (Moreno-Lax, 2024). The findings show that the three governments construct representations of migration along three lines: lack of cooperation, associations with human trafficking and smuggling and absence of a regular migratory process. At the same time, governmental proposals remain superficial and obscure root causes of migration in the region. I argue that through these representations, processes of criminalization of migration and the externalization of border control that take place in the Darién Gap are naturalized, hiding structural issues behind the control of movement in the region. These processes are further legitimized by the UNHCR, which, through social media campaigns, disseminates representations of migration similar to those found in the trilateral agreements. To contest this power, I explore decolonial perspectives offering alternative perspectives to rethink the design of migration policies. Key Words: Darién Gap, critical policy analysis, externalization of migration control