The president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, announced the progressive closure of migration centers in the Darién province, which have been operational since 2016 and have served hundreds of thousands of undocumented individuals, due to a significant decrease in the flow of migrants heading north on the continent.
Mulino stated that the centers in Bajo Chiquito and Canaan Membrillo, located in the dangerous Darién jungle, will be closed. These places provided food, medical services, and collected biometric data from migrants as they first emerged from the Darién jungle, which serves as a natural border with Colombia and also gives its name to the Panamanian province.
The president mentioned that the flow of migrants has decreased drastically, with 961 people, mainly Venezuelans, arriving from the north. The Minister of Public Security, Frank Ábrego, indicated that from January 1 to March 7, around 3,100 migrants entered the country from Costa Rica via regular routes, but it is suspected that there could be many more entering through blind spots on the border.
Since 2016, when the migration operation in the Darién began, the migration crisis has been primarily marked by the presence of Venezuelan migrants, representing more than 85% of the flow through the jungle. However, mass deportations by the Trump government have led many migrants to refrain from attempting to reach the United States.
Despite alarming numbers of irregular migrants arriving in the Panamanian jungle province in previous years, 2024 recorded a significant decrease, attributed to the closure of jungle paths by the government and the tightening of U.S. immigration policies.
Authorities have estimated the cost of this humanitarian operation to be over 50 million dollars. Mulino highlighted that the flow of migrants through the Darién has shown a downward trend, with the current number of migrants crossing the area being considerably lower compared to previous years.
