Panama started using US-funded flights to deport undocumented immigrants on Tuesday (August 20) in order to curb the influx of migrants crossing the treacherous jungles connecting Central and South America on their way to the United States.
The first deportation flight took off from Panama City on Tuesday, carrying 29 Colombians with criminal records in their home country. They were apprehended after crossing the natural passage between Colombia and Panama known as the Darien Gap jungle. These individuals were handcuffed and shackled before being deported on the plane.
The flight was funded by Washington. With less than three months to go before the November US presidential election, immigration has become a key issue in the campaign between former Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
Last year, over 500,000 migrants crossed the Darien Gap, setting a new record, with many being Venezuelan refugees and others from various parts of the Americas and beyond.
In recent years, the number of Chinese people fleeing Communist rule who choose this route has been on the rise. Many of them start their journey in Ecuador, crossing the tropical rainforests of Central and South America to enter the United States through Mexico.
According to an agreement reached in July between US officials and Panama’s new President Jose Mulino, the frequency of deportation flights will increase. This action comes less than two months after Mulino took office as Panama’s president, having pledged during his campaign to end Panama’s status as a “transfer station”.
Roger Mojica, director of Panama’s immigration agency, stated at a press conference that efforts are underway to deport immigrants from countries such as Ecuador and India, in addition to Colombians.
However, he noted that deporting Venezuelans might become more complicated due to Panama suspending diplomatic relations with Venezuela following the disputed presidential elections in the previous month.
BBC’s analysis suggests that there is widespread concern that if the political crisis resulting from the disputed election results in Venezuela remains unresolved, the influx of people fleeing Venezuela may increase in the coming months.
Ahead of the Venezuelan elections, opinion polls indicated that a significant number of Venezuelans plan to emigrate if President Nicolás Maduro wins.
Tensions have been running high since Maduro was declared the winner by the government-led National Electoral Council. The opposition claims there were irregularities in the election results, a stance echoed by the US, EU, and many Latin American countries.
Earlier this month, Panamanian President Mulino proposed a “safe passage” for Maduro to leave Venezuela for a third country. However, Maduro rejected the proposal and warned the Panamanian president not to “provoke” Venezuela.
Marlen Piñeiro from the US Department of Homeland Security stated that the goal of the deportation flights is simple.
“Our message is very clear: the Darien Gap is no longer a route,” she emphasized, stressing that immigrants must choose legal ways to enter the United States.
The Biden administration has publicly allocated a budget of $6 million to support the operations of these flights, as well as providing training to Panamanian officials. Officials insist that these deportation actions are carried out in accordance with Panamanian law.