A growing number of Chinese citizens are crossing into the United States from Mexico every month, according to US Customs and Border Protection. The border patrol apprehended 4,247 Chinese nationals in October, roughly 47 times the number of the same time last year.
The journey is full of difficulties.
Crossing the deadly Darién Gap
These Chinese migrants first fly from China to Quito, the capital of Ecuador, where they do not need a visa to enter. Then they boarded a long-distance bus to Necoclí, Colombia, before taking a boat to Darién Gap. It can take ten days or more to cross this 60 miles of dangerous jungle between Colombia and Panama.
The path through the jungle crosses wide rivers and mountains. Jungle snakes and robbers are also threating their lives. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least 141 people died and went missing when they were crossing the gap in 2022. The actual figure is likely to be much higher.
After crossing the Darién Gap, they still have to travel through Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala before finally reaching the U.S.-Mexico border.
Low chance of securing a U.S. visa
Flying to the U.S. on a tourist visa used to be the most popular way for Chinese asylum-seekers to stay in the U.S. However, this way has been largely closed off for the last few years.
Since FY 2015, the number of nonimmigrant visas issued to China has fallen dramatically.
The likelihood of obtaining a U.S. visa is even much lower for these Chinese asylum seekers, who generally have low incomes, education levels, and skills. As a result, jungle adventure has become an alternative method for them to go for the American dream.
Seeking Asylum
Once they cross into the United States from Mexico, they normally turn themselves in to
border officials and seek asylum. Chinese citizens are more successful than people from
other countries with their asylum claims in immigration court, according to the
Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a data-research organization at Syracuse
University.
In the past 20 years, the U.S. has always been the most popular choice among Chinese asylum-seekers, according to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Fleeing authoritarian rule
There is no complete dataset collecting the reasons why Chinese citizens are seeking asylum. However, one factor is obvious - people are fleeing Xi Jinping’s rule.
According to UNHCR, the number of Chinese asylum-seekers has skyrocketed since Xi took the
power. The number of Chinese asylum-seekers in 2021 alone is higher than the total for the
eight years from 2008 to 2012.
What Lies Ahead
Once released from the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, many migrants join family in the U.S., with a considerable number heading to New York City and Los Angeles—cities with the largest Chinese diasporas. Language barriers lead many to initially settle in Chinese-speaking enclaves, like Flushing in Queens, integrating into the local economy, often within the Chinese business sector.
Amid escalating political repression and economic stagnation, the trend of Chinese nationals fleeing to the U.S., Japan, Europe, and beyond continues to grow. Termed the "run philosophy" in China, this migration wave is being documented and shared widely by migrants on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, detailing their experiences and offering guidance for navigating the perilous journey through the Darién Gap.
My Data
1.Chinese nationals crossing the Darien gap in Panama, Jan. 2022 - Aug. 2023 (Panama National Migration Service) https://www.datosabiertos.gob.pa/dataset/migracion-irregulares-en-transito-por-darien-por-pais-2023 https://www.datosabiertos.gob.pa/dataset/migracion-irregulares-en-transito-por-darien-por-pais-2022
2.The number of Chinese seeking asylum in different countries, 2003-2023 (UNHCR) https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/download/?url=4KEKio
3.Apprehensions of Chinese along the southwest border by US Border Patrol agents, 2021-2023 (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-public-data-portal
4.U.S. Nonimmigrant Visas Issued by Nationality (U.S. Department of State) https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Statistics/AnnualReports/FY2022AnnualReport/FY22_TableXVII.pdf
5.Most and Least Successful Asylum Seekers in Immigration Court, FY 2001- FY 2021(Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, Syracuse University)