Panama to Return 119 Migrants Deported from the US after Serving as a ‘Bridge’

Panama received 119 migrants of “the most diverse nationalities in the world” deported from the United States on Thursday, to later return them on flights paid for by the United States to their countries of origin, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino announced on Thursday.  The president also confirmed that the country will be used as a “bridge” for these returns from the North American nation.  “Through a cooperation program with the United States Government, requested by them, yesterday a U.S. Air Force flight arrived at Hogwarts Airport (known as Panama Pacifico, on the outskirts of Panama City) with 119 people of the most diverse nationalities in the world,” said Mulino.

The Panamanian president, who made these statements during his weekly press conference, explained that the migrants “come from the United States, crossing the border with Panama,” and will be “temporarily housed in a local hotel and from there they will move to a kind of shelter in San Vicente (in the province of Darien).”  “We hope to get them out of there (Darién) as soon as possible through flights from the United States,” said Mulino, who emphasized that these logistics are “organized and paid for by the International Organization for Migration” and “not by the Government of Panama.”  In one of the urban areas of Darién, a province bordering Colombia, there is an airstrip used by Panamanian security forces.  “Two more flights” with migrants from the US are expected.  He also said that 119 migrants were on the “first flight” and “it is expected that once the other two flights are completed, we will reach a total number of 360 people.” 

Mulino did not provide further details about the migrants who arrived in Panama yesterday, but he did list some of the nationals, such as “China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.”  On February 2, Mulino proposed to the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, during his official visit to the country, amid tensions over the Panama Canal, to strengthen cooperation in the deportation of migrants, since both countries have had an agreement since last July to return those who have crossed the dangerous Darien jungle on flights paid for by the North American country.  Since Donald Trump came to power in the United States, immigration policies have been tightened with raids on the streets. In January, his administration issued an order allowing immigration authorities to carry out such raids in schools, churches and hospitals after revoking a directive from his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden (2021-2025), which established a series of “protected areas” where they were prohibited.