Mulino Orders Land and Sea Closures of 5 Border Crossings with Colombia

By land and by sea! Mulino orders the closure of five border crossings with Colombia.  Mulino’s first action as acting president was the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the United States, which establishes the repatriation of people. Measures to curb irregular migration through the Darien jungle continue.  After confirming the placement of serpentine fences at different points on the border between Panama and Colombia, constant patrolling has now been ordered in the waters of the Pacific and Caribbean of Panama.  On the morning of Thursday, July 11, the Ministry of Security, on the social network X, reported on the order given by the head of this portfolio, Frank Ábrego, to deploy patrol boats of the National Border Service, and the National Aeronaval Service in the Caribbean and Pacific.  Ábrego’s order responds to instructions from President José Raúl Mulino to close at least five points on the border with Colombia. The instruction establishes the detention and delivery to the police or immigration authorities of Colombia of any person who travels by boat with irregular migrants and tries to enter the jurisdictional areas of Panama,” they indicate.  The migration and humanitarian crisis that has been taking place in this region of the country for more than a decade and that has been worsening year after year, has led the Panamanian government to take strong measures to try to stop the flow of people.

An example of this is that Mulino’s first action as acting president was the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the United States, which establishes the repatriation of people who do not have legal grounds to remain in Panama. To this end, the US gave the national government 6 million dollars for technical training and repatriation flights. However, they have said that the principle of non-refoulement will be respected for those who prove that they are being persecuted or that their lives are at risk in their country of origin.  Days before Mulino took office, it was announced that serpentine fences had been installed on the Colombian-Panamanian border, which has stopped migrants from entering the jungle at these points. However, there are other paths through which they can still enter.  The measure has generated opinions such as that of the Colombian Ombudsman, Julio Balanta Mina, who urged his government to take measures to confront the backlog of people at the border.  “We urge the national government to request that the Panamanian authorities observe and be aware of the importance of the principles of international human rights law, refuge, accessibility, the satisfaction of basic needs and guarantees for migrants,” Balanta Mina said on the social media of the Colombian Ombudsman’s Office.