the world's most dangerous migrant route is busier than it's ever been this place is like hell on Earth really to make your own food from south to North America there is only one way the conditions are incredibly harsh we just saw a woman who nearly broke her ankle in the river through an almost impenetrable jungle are you afraid that you can die of course Anything could happen to anybody on this route he took with bodies and filled with armed gangs who rob and rape the vulnerable the migrants braving the Darien Gap wouldn't o make it out this is absolute Madness [Music] some trouble for months to get to Las techas on the edge of Colombia thousands show up each day shouldering the weight of packs of babies and of Hope for a new life in the U.S but if they can't pay they won't pass the man who runs this Camp goes by the nickname Maradona he says he doesn't belong to a smuggling cartel but a meat that's who's in charge man United millions are made from migrants forced to hand over their savings for up to 300 each there are sold wristbands and a promise that local guides will help them on the track I know [Music] this is the last resort for just the chance to live a safer life they will risk death now it's time to go a nervous crowd jostles for space Runners waiting at the start line of a deadly Marathon this is a race into hell welcome to the Darian Gap a 60-mile stretch of road less Lawless remote rainforest that links Colombia to Panama this year alone a record 400 000 people will cross it into their final leg through North America all the way up to the U.S border oh my God we've joined the group of around 1200 migrants on their Journey we've barely begun before the heavens opened the storm churn up the river it's almost impossible to cross foreign just a few hours behind us didn't they reported losing dozens of people washed away in the currents this must be one of the most difficult migrating routes in the whole of the world and to think that these people have 3 000 miles in front of them before they get to America once the rain eased the queue spread out it's making so far behind and ahead of us we can't see where it begins or ends the number of migrants risking this route is six times as many as it was this time last year many come from South America but lately others have come from China and Afghanistan too they had to fly here to a continent with more relaxed visa rules a long but necessary diversion to get to the U.S foreign [Music] her husband Anderson and two daughters me and Emma Fred Venezuela for Ecuador five years ago when the economy crashed the two they came here it's a hard game to keep playing as everyone gets more tired thank you our second day brings with it intense humidity trudging through the hot mat such all of our energy [Music] and mentally exhausting and migrants who've been drinking the river water are starting to fall ill after three days of tracking the mood lifts we've made it to the Panama border we will carry on to the Colombian guides won't we just crossed into Panama we left the protection the de cartel cells in the Colombian side and now the migrants are on their own there's been reports of raping robberies killings this is possibly the most difficult part of the journey resting after the steepest climb so far is 28 year old Peng down wondering how he ended up here foreign and brought no food or water with him the number of disillusioned Chinese migrants coming here exploded once China's lengthy coffee lockdowns finally lifted last year we're worried about him so are the boys who are trying to look after him foreign and some are running from nightmares too Kim Bay fled the Civil War in Cameroon I am a refugee because I'm coming from a Walton Zone and my life is in danger every minute every minute I fear the threat of death and torture my chances are better of surviving here and making it even if I'm raped I might not die from the rape I know it's bad it's dangerous yeah but it's better than that yeah it's better than dying so I I prefer this risk did you want to do it for yourself for your for your daughter why tell me because if I'm safe she's going to be safe if I have a future she has a future so that's why do you miss her a lot so much maybe when I get to Panama City I can call her that at least I'm out of the jungle for now after that day we didn't see Kim again foreign [Music] [Music] it's getting impossible to keep up the pretense of a fun holiday for the girls foreign by now we've slept rough for four nights we are nowhere near the finish line and around every corner lies another threat the sound of gunfire sends everyone into a panic suddenly the people are running back down the path one of those taken was Miles grandmother without her she seemed consolable alone and scared all she can do is star into the trees and hope she would emerge after an hour she did the kidnappers had to let her go spooked by some border guards on patrol there's always safety numbers traveling solo is specially risky here we found Francesca a nurse from Venezuela alone on the edge of the river foreign but her uncle was broken with more than a full day left between here and civilization she can't carry on another group of Venezuelans arrived and try to encourage her OES [Music] by this stage of the journey most are sick all are hungry [Music] Francesca is so close but she cannot and will not move we'll probably have to leave and uh look for help for Francesca she won't be able to move we reported her location to the Panamanian police and hoped she would be rescued every step to this Trek has felt harder than the last finally after six days came the final push the terrain starts to improve the mood does too we hear Desiree and her family have made it out of the Gap and Against All Odds Peng has too uh welcome to that uh locals offer boat trips to a nearby U.N camp for 40 dollars per person the ordeal is over but the journey isn't there are many countries and thousands of miles to go [Music] and in the end most of the migrants we met won't be allowed into the U.S where border controls are tightening again still on they go hoping they will be the exception