While thousands of undocumented migrants from Haiti, Cuba, and Venezuela make the dangerous trip towards North America through the Darien Jungle in Panama, thousands more are making similar journeys in the opposite direction to Chile.

Undocumented migrants who have entered Chile through illegal border crossings at nearly 4,000 meters above sea level and up to -15C degrees Celsius are queuing up by the hundreds in the city of Antofagasta every day to take buses to Santiago.

Chile’s Health Ministry is testing them for Covid so that they can be cleared for inter-regional travel.

One day this week, 800 people were queuing to get on buses and next week local authorities calculate that the numbers will increase further.

Many arrive suffering from hypothermia, altitude sickness, and malnutrition.

Some have been robbed or raped along the way.

Others have died.

Aljazeera/Agencies.