Smugglers Are Now Also Charging Migrants To Head Back Home as Trump Border Crackdown Intensifies

In a shift not seen in a decade, human smugglers are facilitating the southward movement of migrants away from the United States as the Trump administration's immigration policies make it harder to enter or remain in the country.

Each day, between 20 and 30 migrants board boats off Panama's coast, heading toward Colombia instead of northward. This reversal is driven by stricter deportation policies and fewer legal pathways to residency in the U.S.

Smugglers like El Zurdo, who has spent years guiding migrants north, are now offering "return trips" for $550 per person, including transport to the Colombian town of Necoclí, basic accommodations, and meals, according to a new report by Bloomberg.

"This is a first in 10 years," El Zurdo said. "We knew there would be changes coming, but I never imagined this."

The Trump administration has ramped up deportations, cut funding to jurisdictions that do not cooperate with enforcement efforts, and made asylum appointments more difficult. "A small but significant number of people who'd come north expecting appointments and access to the U.S. asylum system are giving up and going south again," said Adam Isacson of the Washington Office on Latin America to Bloomberg.

While precise numbers are difficult to obtain, Panama's government reports that 2,200 migrants, mostly adult men, have crossed back into the country heading south this year. In contrast, only 408 migrants traveled north through Panama in February, a stark drop from the 37,000 recorded during the same month last year.

Smugglers have traditionally moved migrants north via the Darien Gap, a treacherous jungle passage, but more are now using maritime routes to return. Migrants typically travel by boat to the Colombian town of Capurganá, avoiding the dangerous terrain altogether.

Gardi Sugdub, an island previously known for housing Panama's first climate refugees, has now become a key stop for those waiting for southbound transport. Migrants pay $10 per day for lodging, though conditions remain poor, with limited access to potable water and electricity.

Panama and Colombia are adapting to the new migration flow. Panama's Security Minister Frank Abrego recently acknowledged that while regional authorities are aware of these boat transfers, they remain informal. He also emphasized that officials are monitoring these operations to prevent human trafficking and other illegal activity.

Colombia's Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia stated that the government is exploring programs to support returning migrants, including employment and education initiatives, while also addressing growing xenophobia.

The dangers of reverse migration were highlighted in late February when a boat carrying 21 migrants capsized in rough waters off Panama's coast, resulting in the death of an 8-year-old Venezuelan child.

Ariel Ruiz of the Migration Policy Institute estimates that between 250,000 and 270,000 migrants are currently stuck in Mexico due to U.S. and Mexican enforcement policies. Many are now reconsidering their options. "Mostly because of the Mexican enforcement and the conditions there, people were either not willing or not wanting to wait in Mexico for a long time," Ruiz said. "Instead of trying to wait and see what happens in U.S. policy, some begin to return."