In Panama, twenty-nine Colombian migrants were expelled, one month after an agreement was reached with the United States

Panama expelled on Tuesday, August 20, 29 Colombian migrants with criminal records who entered the country illegally through the Darien jungle, implementing for the first time an immigration agreement with the United States concluded in July.

“This is the first flight of the US-funded agreement.”Panamanian Deputy Minister for Security Luis Felipe Icaza told reporters alongside U.S. officials after a charter flight carrying the 29 deportees took off from the Panamanian capital’s Albrook airport to Bogota.

Before boarding a Fokker F50 plane, the deportees were inspected one by one with metal detectors. They carried no luggage and boarded slowly, their feet and hands shackled. According to Mr. Icaza, another flight is expected to leave “Friday or Saturday” within the framework of the agreement concluded between Panama and the United States on 1^er July, the day of the inauguration of the new Panamanian president, José Raul Mulino.

“Closing” the Darien Jungle Road

Under the terms of this cooperation agreement, Washington has committed to financing up to $6 million for the repatriation of migrants crossing the Darien jungle, on the border between Panama and Colombia.

In the first phase, the expulsions are to concern migrants with criminal records, but the agreement provides for the repatriation of anyone who enters Panama through the Darien jungle on their way to the United States. “The agreement concerns everyone, not just criminals”said Marleine Pineiro, the U.S. Homeland Security official for Central America, who was present at the expulsion alongside other U.S. and Panamanian officials.

This is the first group of migrants to be expelled under the new agreement, although Panama has flown Colombian citizens with criminal records to Colombia on at least two occasions this year.

In his inaugural speech, Mr. Mulino pledged to ” close “ the Darien Jungle Route, which will be used by half a million migrants from South America to the United States via Central America and Mexico in 2023. He then tempered his remarks on July 18 by ruling out repatriating “by force” Migrants crossing the Darien jungle.