Migration Crisis Devastates Panama’s Most Important Natural Reserve

Saving and protecting the most important natural reserve in Panama and the region is the great challenge that the new government of José Raúl Mulino faces in the face of the migratory crisis in the Darién Jungle. 

The Minister of the Environment, Juan Carlos Navarro, reiterated his support and commitment to the government to address the unprecedented migration and environmental crisis facing the province of Darién, a border region with Colombia.  “Our Darien is in danger due to the enormous amount of garbage, plastic and pollution left by hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants along our forests and rivers,” the Minister of the Environment said.  It is urgent that we work as a team and that we all support the government of José Raúl Mulino to stop the inhuman exploitation of migrants and at the same time plan an operation to collect and dispose of all this garbage and plastic waste, before our rivers and ancient forests of the Darién are affected even more, he added.

During his tour of Lajas Blancas, the president referred to the measures that his government will adopt to address the migration crisis due to the great economic, social and environmental impact it has on Panamanian territory.  Mulino is confident that he will receive support from the Minister of the Environment, Juan Carlos Navarros, to address the cost of environmental pollution caused by migration. 

The president who assumes the Presidency of the Republic this Monday, July 1, warned about the “tons of inorganic plastic garbage that, along with human remains, feces and everything else” are contaminating water sources in the Darién region.  Operation Controlled Flow of Irregular Migrants has recorded, from January 2024 until this Friday, June 28, 2024, a transit through the Darien jungle of some 197,389 people.

According to the region, 160,621 people from South America, 19,781 from Asia, 11,413 from the Antilles, 5,527 from Africa and 47 from other regions have entered through Darién.  Only in the month of June, some 27,375 people have arrived, of these 21,747 are adults and 5,628 are minors.