On Tuesday, Panama conducted its first migrant deportation flight funded by the United States, marking a significant step in efforts to curb the flow of migrants traveling north through the region. The flight saw the deportation of twenty-nine Colombians from Panama City to Medellín, Colombia, under the supervision of Panama's Deputy Security Minister Luis Felipe Icaza.
The deportees, who were escorted by authorities from Panama's migration agency, were reported to have been restrained with handcuffs and ankle cuffs. Notably, one individual onboard was identified as a member of the Clan del Golfo criminal organization, as alleged by Icaza.
This deportation flight followed the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between the US and Panama on July 1, aimed at reducing unauthorized migrant crossings through Panama en route to the US. In a recent move, Panama installed barbed wire along various paths in the perilous Darién jungle, a crucial passage between Panama and Colombia, in an attempt to impede the northward migration route.
Since the beginning of this year, over 230,000 individuals have entered Panama through the Darién jungle from Colombia. In August alone, more than 8,000 migrants have traversed this route. These figures indicate a 30% decrease compared to the same period in 2023, as reported by Roger Mojica, director of Panama's migration agency.
Currently, Panama is exclusively conducting deportation flights to Colombia, with plans to coordinate similar flights to other countries like Ecuador and India. However, flights to Venezuela, a nation grappling with economic turmoil and an authoritarian regime, are not being arranged despite the significant outflow of people from the country.
