Influx of Haitian migrants pushing locals out of housing in Colombia beach town

Migrants, mostly Haitians, wait to board boats bound for Acandi, Colombia, to later cross into Panama and continue north, in Necocli, Colombia, September 23, 2021. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez

NECOCLI, Colombia (Reuters) - An influx of thousands of mostly Haitian migrants seeking transport northward toward the United States is pushing locals in the Colombian beach town of Necocli out of housing, residents said, as landlords favor migrants able to pay in dollars.

The backlog of migrants waiting in the town for scarce places on boat transport toward the jungles of the Darien Gap in Panama, where smugglers guide groups northward on foot, has swelled to up to 19,000 after the lifting of COVID-19 border closures.