Panama is continuing to carry out deportation flights from the Darien Gap, a key migratory route in the continent for those heading to North America, as part of a recent agreement with the United States.
The latest one involved 130 Indian migrants who had entered the country through the treacherous jungle path. They were flown to New Delhi for "irregular migration," according to Panamanian director of migration, Roger Mojica.
Panama's new president, José Raúl Mulino, has made of cracking down on migration through the Darien a key policy of his administration since taking office in July. He signed an agreement with the U.S. immediately after taking office, agreeing to detain unlawful migrants and carry out the flights if the U.S. funded the effort.
Washington has pledged $6 million in funding for migrant repatriations from the Central American nation in the hope of reducing irregular crossings at its own southern border. The agreement also includes U.S. support for Panama with equipment, transportation, and logistics for foreigners detected within migratory flows that violate Panamanian immigration laws.
Following the announcement of the flight, U.S. Security Attache for Central America Marlen Piñeiro said Washington was "very grateful to the government of Panama for all this support," adding that "irregular migration cannot continue."
Panama has already conducted several deportation flights, including Ecuadorian and Colombian citizens, as well as the mentioned Indians. It has also anticipated plans for a flight to repatriate Chinese citizens.
The crackdown by the Mulino administration is seemingly having an effect, considering that the latest migration figures are showing a 30% year-on-year decrease. Concretely, 238,185 people migrated through the Darien Gap in the first eight months of the year, compared to 333, 704 in 2023, according to Adam Isacson, from the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA). Over half a million people made the journey last year.
He added that the number of migrants transiting the Darién fell from 31,049 in June 2024, to 20,526 in July, to 16,596 in August. "The August total was the fewest since June 2022. 71 percent of migrants in August were citizens of Venezuela. During the first 8 months of 2024, 67 percent of migrants were from Venezuela," according to Isacson.
However, he warned that the drop could likely be a result of a "short term 'wait and see' effect, as migrants and smugglers pause to evaluate the changes being implemented by" Mulino.
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