Panama Begins Deporting Migrants from Darien Jungle Following Agreement with U.S.

The arrival of a flight from Panama to Medellín, Colombia this Tuesday marked the beginning of the deportation of migrants who cross the Darien Jungle. This operation is funded by the U.S. government as part of a strategy to curb migration to its territory.

According to Panamanian authorities, this flight signifies the start of a new strategy by the government of José Raúl Mulino to reduce the massive flow of migrants traversing the Darien with the U.S. as their final destination, reported El País.

Humanitarian Crisis at the Colombia-Panama Border

At the border between Colombia and Panama, the migrant flow has escalated into a humanitarian crisis. Thousands of people from various nationalities risk their lives crossing the dangerous Darien Jungle, a route that has seen increasing use in recent years.

Cubans have played a crucial role in the massive crossings through the once-impregnable Darien route, which has hit record numbers in recent years. In 2021, more than 130,000 migrants, mainly Haitians and Cubans, navigated the perilous jungle. This number surged to 250,000 in 2022, driven by a significant increase in Venezuelan and Ecuadorian migrants.

Last year, over half a million migrants ventured through this route, with Venezuelans accounting for up to 60% of the total, according to Panamanian data.

Bilateral Agreement and Regional Implications

The Panamanian government intensified its migration response just months before the U.S. presidential elections, resulting in a bilateral agreement that allows Panama to deport all migrants who enter irregularly. This agreement, reached shortly after Mulino assumed power less than two months ago, has significant regional implications, particularly concerning the Venezuelan migration crisis and human trafficking in the region.

The agreement between Panama and the U.S. includes funding from Washington for the deportations, with an initial commitment of six million dollars.

Mulino's administration remains steadfast in its intention to "close" the Darien, a promise made during his campaign and now being implemented with support from the U.S. and other countries.

As a precedent, last July, Panama's National Border Service (Senafront) closed at least three border crossings commonly used by migrants traveling through the dangerous Darien Jungle en route to Colombia and ultimately the United States.

In a statement, the Panamanian government announced that "measures were taken for the control of massive irregular migration facing the Panamanian state" to "channel irregular migration" to Bajo Chiquito, the first village migrants reach after crossing the Darien Jungle on foot, as reported by DW.

As of June 2024, a little over 400 Cubans had crossed the Darien Jungle, according to the National Migration Service of Panama. The Controlled Migrant Flow Operation, developed by this entity, recorded from January 1 to June 6, 2024, a transit of approximately 174,513 people through this dangerous border crossing. Among them, only 402 were Cubans, marking a drastic reduction in migrants from the island compared to previous years. In March 2023 alone, 220 Cubans crossed that region, already a reduced figure.