The United States has deported 119 individuals of various nationalities to Panama as part of an agreement between the administration of President Donald Trump and the Central American country, Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino announced on Thursday.
The first flight, carrying migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam, arrived in Panama on Wednesday. Two additional flights are expected soon, bringing the total number of deported individuals to 360, Mulino stated during a press conference.
Before being repatriated to their respective home countries, the deportees will be housed at a shelter near the Darien region, a dense jungle that serves as a major migration route for those attempting to reach the United States.
“As part of a cooperation program with the US government, a US Air Force flight arrived on Wednesday with 119 people from various nationalities,” Mulino said.
The US Department of Homeland Security has yet to comment on the matter.
Earlier this month, during discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Mulino reiterated that Panama’s sovereignty over the Panama Canal remains non-negotiable. However, he acknowledged the possibility of further migrant repatriations.
During the meeting, Mulino also revealed that a memorandum of understanding signed in July with the US Department of Homeland Security might be expanded to include the return of Venezuelan, Colombian, and Ecuadorian migrants from the Darien Gap, with the US covering transportation costs via a Panamanian airstrip.
Meanwhile, Panama’s Deputy Minister for Security Luis Icaza noted that bilateral cooperation between Panama and the US has led to a 90% reduction in the number of migrants crossing the Darien jungle in January compared to the same period last year.
