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Panama City, July 1, 2024 – During a significant ceremony at the Atlapa Convention Centre in Panama City, José Raúl Mulino was inaugurated as the new president of Panama, making a commitment in his first address to close the perilous Darien Gap to migrants heading to the U.S. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
WASHINGTON — In a move to curb migration through Central America, the United States announced plans to fund travel and provide additional assistance to Panama for the deportation of migrants, coinciding with the swearing-in of Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino, who has pledged to seal off the infamous Darien Gap.
This memorandum of understanding, established during Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ trip to Panama on Monday, aims to mitigate the smuggling of migrants through the Darien jungle, often bound for the U.S., as stated by National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson.
Watson emphasized that deporting migrants could discourage irregular migration in the region and disrupt criminal networks exploiting vulnerable individuals.
Echoing the sentiment, Mayorkas highlighted the need for a collaborative regional approach to address the migration issue.
Following Mulino’s inauguration, Panama’s Foreign Affairs Ministry disclosed an agreement, signed by Mayorkas and Panama’s Foreign Affairs Minister Javier Martínez-Acha, whereby the U.S. commits to financing the repatriation flights and providing logistics support for migrants deported by Panama.
At 65, the newly inaugurated President, previously serving as the security minister, resolved to block the flow of illegal migration through the hazardous and ungoverned territory of the Darien Gap.
During his inaugural speech, Mulino expressed his determination not to allow Panama to be exploited by illegal migrants and criminal syndicates related to drug and human trafficking.
Under the deal, U.S. Homeland Security will assist Panama in training personnel and bolstering capacities to identify and deport migrants ineligible to stay under Panama’s laws, detailed by senior administration officials under anonymity.
The agreement also outlines U.S. financial support for the charter or commercial flights for returning migrants to their homelands, although specifics on the funding amount or target countries were not disclosed.
Officials clarified that while the U.S. would provide guidance and expertise on deportations, including migrant screening for possible protections, the program would be managed by Panama in alignment with its immigration laws, noting Panama’s existing but constrained repatriation initiatives.
This accord addresses the challenge posed by the Darien Gap, a major passage for migrants from the Southern Hemisphere aiming for the U.S., with over half a million crossings last year alone and more than 190,000 so far in 2024, predominantly by individuals from Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, and China.
The deal emerges amidst the Biden administration’s challenges in demonstrating control over immigration and border security issues, particularly during an election year marked by criticism from former President Donald Trump and efforts by President Joe Biden to implement measures restricting asylum access and offering legal status pathways to certain immigrants.