US and Panama have signed a new agreement over the immigration issues vowing to close down the Darién Gap. A passage used by illegal migrants travelling north to the United States, under a deal with Central America new president José Raúl Mulino, on Monday.
Under the agreement, the US will cover the costs of repatriating migrants who enter Panama illegally. The memorandum of understanding was signed by Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha and US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. The Panama government announced, “The US government undertakes to cover the cost of the repatriation of immigrants who enter illegally through Darién.”
In his first address as president, Mulino called for international assistance to address what he termed a costly “humanitarian and environmental crisis.” Last year, a record 520,000 migrants risked their lives crossing the Darién Gap, a dense jungle on Panama’s border with Colombia, often falling prey to human smugglers.
“We cannot continue financing the economic and social costs that massive illegal immigration generates for the country, along with the consequent connection of international criminal organizations,” Mulino said.
The agreement aims to reduce the number of migrants being smuggled through the Darién Gap, typically en route to the United States. A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council stated that repatriating migrants would help deter irregular migration and disrupt smuggling networks.
US homeland security teams will assist Panama in training personnel and building expertise to determine which migrants can be removed under Panama’s immigration laws. The US will finance charter flights or commercial tickets to return these migrants to their home countries.
The Darién Gap has become a critical route for migrants from across the southern hemisphere and beyond, seeking to reach the US. The new agreement represents a significant step in managing and reducing illegal migration through this perilous region.