PANAMA CITY — The United States has deported a flight carrying 119 migrants from diverse nationalities to Panama, marking the first of three planned flights. President José Raúl Mulino announced that the migrants, who did not have criminal records and were detained after crossing the US border, will be moved to a shelter in Panama’s Darien region before being returned to their countries.
The agreement was made possible by the Trump administration’s request, with the US government paying for repatriations through UN immigration agencies. The move follows a recent visit from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who secured agreements with Guatemala and El Salvador to accept migrants from other nations.
Panama has been involved in dozens of deportation flights since Mulino took office last year, with most funded by the US government. According to Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Ruiz Hernández, Panama has been “completely willing” to cooperate with the request. The move is part of efforts to slow migration through the Darien Gap, which saw a 90% decrease in January compared to the same month last year.
The first flight brings the total number of deportees expected to be sent to Panama to around 360 people.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/panama-us-migrants-mulino-trump-0460f98743706ae20fd3914f827b67a9