PANAMA CITY (AP) — Panama will increase infrastructure in the jungle area along its shared border with Colombia known as the Darien Gap — as well as ramp up deportations — to contain a record-breaking flow of migrants passing through there this year, Panama’s immigration chief said Friday.
National Immigration Authority Director Samira Gozaine said President Laurentino Cortizo had authorized hiring charter flights to increase deportations. Some 350,000 migrants have crossed the dangerous Darien Gap so far this year, shattering last year’s record of fewer than 250,000, which was also a record.
“We will increase these deportations so that the required impact is felt,” Gozaine said.
Security Minister Juan Pino said Panama had tried to manage the flow of migrants responsibly. “If that wasn’t the case we would have many migrants in the streets,” he said. “But ”we are at the capacity limit.”
Source : apnews
