First group of migrants has been deported underneath settlement on migrant repatriations signed with the US in July.
Panama has deported 29 Colombians with alleged prison data who had entered the nation by means of the inhospitable Darien Hole, making use of for the primary time a deal on migrant repatriations signed with the USA in July.
“We’ve got the primary flight of the settlement financed by the USA,” Panamanian Vice Minister of Safety Luis Felipe Icaza, accompanied by US officers, instructed reporters on Tuesday after the constitution flight took off at daybreak en path to Bogota.
Earlier than boarding the Fokker 50 plane, the group was lined up on the facet of the runway and every was screened with steel detectors.
The 29 deportees, who had no baggage, had been handcuffed and climbed the aircraft’s stairs slowly.
Panama President Jose Raul Mulino, who took workplace on July 1, had initially stated the flights could be “voluntary” repatriations, however these deported on Tuesday had prison data, officers stated.
Icaza stated the subsequent flight might depart on Friday or Saturday underneath the deal.
Transit nations reminiscent of Panama and Mexico have come underneath elevated strain from Washington to sort out the extremely contentious migration situation in a US election yr.
Washington pledged $6m in funding for migrant repatriations from the Central American nation within the hope of decreasing irregular crossings at its personal southern border.
In a primary section, migrants with a prison file will likely be deported, however the settlement might see the deportation of any particular person coming into Panama by means of the notoriously harmful and rugged Darien Gap region on their strategy to the US.
This was the primary group deported underneath the settlement, though Panama despatched a number of constitution flights earlier this yr to Colombia with Colombian nationals with prison data.
The Darien Hole between Colombia and Panama has change into a key hall for migrants travelling overland from South America by means of Central America and Mexico to the US.
Regardless of the dangers, including attacks by criminal gangs, greater than half one million undocumented migrants – largely Venezuelans – crossed the Darien final yr.
However no less than for now, Panama isn’t in a position to deport Venezuelans as a result of the connection between the 2 nations has turned tense since Panama refused to recognise the outcomes of Venezuela’s election giving President Nicolas Maduro one other time period.
The 2 nations have suspended their diplomatic relations.
Roger Mojico, director of Panama’s Nationwide Immigration Service, instructed reporters on Tuesday that Panama is talking with different nations, reminiscent of Ecuador and India, about coordinating repatriation flights.