Panama City – The National Immigration Service (SNM) of Panama reported today that so far this year 158,747 irregular travelers have transited the isthmus towards the United States.
The increasing flows according to that report indicate that in this month of May alone, some 19,480 hikers have arrived in the dangerous Darién jungle on the border with Colombia.
The SNM specified that the illegal travelers mostly come from Venezuela, Ecuador and Haiti; It is also worrying that some 30,000 are minors.
The authorities deploy the Controlled Flow operation and in parallel maintain the communication campaign “Darién is not a route, it is a jungle” to prevent irregular migrants from risking their lives when transiting the area.
In 2023, more than 520,000 people crossed that route and it is expected that if the trend continues in 2024, it could reach 800,000.
In his first public interventions, the elected president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, who will take office on the 1st. July; and the designated Minister of Security, Frank Abrego, have advanced the policy of closing the border and deporting irregular migrants to their countries of origin.
Mulino added that these measures will begin with international aid and with adherence to human rights.
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