PANAMA CITY (Reuters) -Panama’s government expects to start Panama migrant deportations within two to three months. Migrants crossed the dangerous Darien jungle. Roger Mojica, the chief of migration, announced the plan on Friday. #PanamaMigrantDeportations
The flights will be paid by the United States under a recent agreement that the two countries closed earlier this month.
“We are establishing the needs, equipment and requirements that Panama has to face in order to start the program, and we are in conversations with the United States,” Mojica said during a conference call. “We estimate we should be able to start the process in two to three months.”
Panama’s new president, Jose Raul Mulino, has vowed to address Panama migrant deportations. He is working closely with the U.S. to control the Darien jungle route.
Panama’s Darien Gap, a jungle which bridges Central America with the South American continent, saw a record half a million migrants cross last year seeking security and better economic opportunities abroad.
Panamanian authorities estimate some 213,702 thousand crossed the Darien so far this year, many of them children. #PanamaMigrantDeportations
The topic of migration has gained traction ahead of elections in the U.S., a key destination for many migrants, with Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump vowing stronger borders and mass deportations.
