Panama will strengthen measures against illegal migration | News

The Panamanian government announced on Wednesday a strengthening of security measures to stop the migratory wave that tries to cross the Darien jungle, on the border with Colombia, to reach the United States.

READ ALSO:

Drought restrictions delay ships in Panama Canal

The Minister of Public Security, Juan Manuel Pino, affirmed that "Panama must make its internal and external decisions" and that soon "it will be taking forceful measures and actions" to stop migration, without offering more details of the plans in this regard.

According to the official, "the communication and management that Panama has tried to give (to the immigration issue) through international cooperation has fallen on deaf ears, there are countries in the south that are not giving due responsibility to this issue," critical.

Official data reveals that, so far in 2023, just over 307,000 people have crossed through the Darién jungle, a much higher figure than the same period of the previous year, when only 248,000 had done so. Despite the dangers, wild animals, mighty rivers, steep roads, and criminal gangs, they continue to use those corridors.

The Darién jungle, with an extension of 266 kilometers long and some 575,000 hectares in area, becomes a highly traveled route for those who intend to reach the United States, coming from South America, through Central America and Mexico. Haitians, Ecuadorians and Cubans venture there.

The Panamanian immigration and civil security authorities have installed shelters in conjunction with international organizations, as a growing number of Chinese citizens have also been detected, despite the fact that the US has warned that it will not allow those who enter its territory to enter its territory irregularly in Panama.

Also on this day, government representatives from 23 countries signed a joint communiqué in which they recognized "the need to generate coordinated actions" to prevent "irregular migration" and prosecute human traffickers. However, the Panamanian authorities demand greater international involvement.

"It is a reality that surpasses us (...), we already understand that we are alone on this issue," lamented the director of the National Migration Service of Panama, Samira Gozaine.