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Hard Numbers: Record Darién Gap crossings, Kazakhstan rolls up red carpet, scores face possible execution in Iran, India to judge “fakes”

Haitian migrants trek through the Darien Gap towards the border with Panama.

Haitian migrants trek through the Darien Gap towards the border with Panama.

Reuters

250,000: Last year, a record 250,000 migrants crossed the harrowing Darién Gap between Colombia and Panamá, nearly twice as many as the year before. Venezuelan nationals accounted for 150,000 of those crossings. In a bid to lower these numbers, the Biden administration in October said it would accept 24,000 preregistered Venezuelan migrants at airports but would reject those who arrive illegally.


90: Kazakhstan says Russians can no longer stay in the country indefinitely — from Jan. 26, they must leave for at least 90 days after a three-month stay. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, hundreds of thousands of Russians have fled economic hardship and military conscription at home. Where will they go now?

109: Protests continue in Iran over the in-custody death of Mahsa Amini, and at least 109 protesters are currently in danger of being executed. The regime has relied on forced confessions and speedy trials, with some defendants given as little as 15 minutes to defend themselves.

0: Under a new Indian government proposal, social media companies will be permitted to host zero information that is “fake or false.” Who will be the judge of fairness and falsehood? The Indian government itself. The proposal is Delhi’s latest attempt to rein in the power of tech giants, but free speech activists worry that Narendra Modi’s government is going too far.

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