Panama declares migration crisis in Darien Gap 'closed'
Drastic drop in migrant flow cited as reason for announcement
BOGOTA, Colombia
Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino on Thursday declared the cessation of the migration crisis in the Darien Gap, the dense jungle separating the country from Colombia.
Citing a significant decline in migrant flows, Mulino said that “for all practical purposes,” the passage is now “closed.”
“It’s a mission accomplished in our migratory policy that has been achieved with considerable effort,” he added.
According to Mulino's weekly press briefing, migrant crossings in April numbered 73, a stark contrast to the 29,259 arrivals in April 2024.
So far this year, 2,904 migrants have traversed the Darien Gap compared to over 126,000 during the same period last year. The majority of those crossing remain Venezuelan, with Ecuadorians, Colombians and Peruvians constituting the other predominant nationalities.
“We do not have a considerable incoming migratory flow. While some movement will always occur, it will not be on the scale of people we experienced in previous years,” he said.
Now, as part of what authorities call a “reverse flow,” migrants are returning to the countries they once sought to escape after US President Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration.
Mulino said this reverse flow is being managed “in a very coherent way” by Panamanian immigration authorities in coordination with their counterparts in Colombia and Costa Rica.
“Frankly, the situation is manageable. We are not witnessing a migratory overflow due to the reverse migration. We continue to assist people in transit towards Colombia,” he said.
The Panamanian government attributes the decline in northbound migratory traffic to measures such as the closure of illegal trails, fines for irregular entry, and the deportation flight program financed by the US.
This agreement, signed on July 1 of last year, the same day Mulino assumed office, involves the aerial repatriation of irregular migrants who arrived in the Central American country, with the US funding their flights.
