Panama deports migrants on US-funded flights, sends 29 Colombians home

Panama's government announced on Tuesday, Aug. 20, that it deported 29 Colombians on the first deportation flight funded by the United States government. The move is part of an agreement made in July between Panama and the U.S.

The deportation flight falls in line with Panama's new president, Jose Raul Mulino, who vowed during his campaign to stop migrants from passing through the dangerous Darien Gap, a deadly jungle corridor linking South and Central America.

In July, Mulino's government installed barbed wire along the route that has become a key passageway for hundreds of thousands of asylum-seekers heading to the United States. It is also the path the now-deported Colombians used.

However, the vast majority of migrants coming through the region are from Venezuela. Panama is not currently able to deport Venezuelans because it has suspended diplomatic relations with Venezuela while President Nicolas Maduro clings to power following a controversial election.

The Biden administration believes Panama's efforts will slow illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border and human smuggling operations.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro previously criticized the measures Panama is taking to curb illegal immigration, arguing the measures do not address the root cause of forced migration, like economic challenges. He contends the real solution is to remove economic blockades and improve the economies of countries in the region.

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