Panama and the United States have signed a memorandum of understanding that provides for the repatriation via air, in accordance with Panamanian laws, of irregular migrants who have arrived in Panamanian territory, funded by the United States. The American embassy has communicated that approximately 14 million dollars have been provided to the Panamanian government for the deportation or expulsion of irregular migrants. This funding covers the costs of tickets for the deportees, escorts, translators, and other expenses related to the process.
According to the embassy, this memorandum has had outstanding success by contributing to a 99% reduction in illegal immigration through Darién. The Panamanian president, in April of this year, stated that the migration crisis in the Darién jungle, a natural border with Colombia, was resolved and that the flow of migrants had drastically decreased, labeling the situation as "Mission accomplished." Until that month, 73 migrants had crossed the Darién compared to the 29,259 people who had done so in April of the previous year, representing a 99.7% decrease.
So far this year, 2,904 migrants have crossed the Darién, compared to more than 126,000 in the same period last year. Regarding the reverse arrival of migrants from north to south, pushed by the difficulties of entering the United States, the flow stands at 7,757 people this year, mostly Venezuelans, followed by Colombians, Peruvians, and Ecuadorians.
This Tuesday, at least 81 irregular migrants from Cameroon, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka were deported from Panama to their countries of origin as part of a deportation flight program funded by the United States. Since August 2024, a total of 1,969 illegal migrants have been deported under this program, according to the U.S. embassy.
The United States Ambassador to Panama, Kevin Marino Cabrera, witnessed the departure of a flight that deported 81 illegal migrants to their countries of origin in Africa and Asia. Cabrera highlighted that this cooperation between the two countries has resulted in a 99% reduction in illegal immigration through Darién. The collaboration was established on July 1, 2024, the same day that Panamanian President José Rafael Mulino took office.
Mulino has linked the decrease in migratory flow to the north to measures such as closing roads in the jungle to enable a single "humanitarian corridor," imposing fines for irregular entry into the country, and the deportation flight program funded by the United States.
