President of Panama will deport migrants who cross the Darien
The recently elected president of Panama. José Raúl Mulino indicated on Thursday in a public event that he will deport migrants who cross the Darién jungle on their journey to the United States
José Raúl Mulino indicated in a recent intervention that he will deport migrants who cross the Darién jungle, in the border area with Colombia, in their desire to reach USA.
During a speech at the event in which the National Scrutiny Board formally proclaimed him as the next president for the period 2024-2029, Mulino declared: “To finish the Darién Odyssey, which has no reason to exist (…), we will begin with help international repatriation process with full respect for the human rights of all the people who are there.”
According to migration data, 520,000 people, mostly Venezuelans, crossed the Darién jungle in 2023. The Panamanian government has been forced to provide assistance to these migrants. Official figures determine that in the first quarter of 2024 more than 110,000 people have crossed this area.
Mulino had announced on April 16, in a campaign walk, his intention to “close” the Darién, the jungle border of 266 km in length and 575,000 hectares in surface, which in recent years has become a corridor for the migrants from South America trying to reach the United States.
Mulino, who is due to take command in Panama on July 1, had already spoken about closing Darién during his campaign. Now, on this delicate matter, he added: “So that those from there [in South American nations] and those who would like to come here know, that whoever arrives here will return to their country of origin.”
M.Pino
Source: swissinfo
(Reference image source: @PanAmPost_es, X)
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