Panama announces more migrant deportation flights to Ecuador, India and China

PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - Panama's government announced on Thursday additional deportation flights for migrants apprehended in the Central American nation to Ecuador, India and China, in a bid to reduce of flow of mostly U.S.-bound migration.

Panama's recently-inaugurated President Jose Mulino, who campaigned on a pledge to end his nation's status as a major migrant transit point, made the announcement during his weekly press conference.

Financed by Washington, the deportation flights kicked off earlier this week with a first planeload of Colombian migrants. The flights come less than three months before November's U.S. presidential election, where unlawful migration has emerged as a major issue.

For years, would-be migrants from South America and beyond have sought to cross the dangerous Darien Gap jungle on foot that connects Colombia with Panama en route to the United States.

Mulino did not specify the legal status of the migrants who will be flown to Ecuador or the two Asian countries, or if they have criminal records.

He noted that flights to Ecuador will take place on Aug. 29, flights to Colombia on Aug. 30, and to India on Sept. 3.

Mulino added that additional flights to Colombia will take place between Aug. 24-30, but he did not provide dates or number of flights set to take off for China.

(Reporting by Elida Moreno; Editing by Cassandra Garrison)