Some 3,800 irregular migrants stranded in Panama have returned to Venezuela

At least some 3,800 Venezuelan migrants who were in a shelter in the capital Panamanian They have voluntarily returned to their country in recent days on “humanitarian flights,” an official source reported this Saturday.

The deputy director of the National Migration Service (SNM), María Isabel Saravia, told journalists that the vast majority of these people have processed their return to Venezuela “by their own means” economic, and other “through collaboration”.

Look: Migrants crowd at Panama airport to return to Venezuela

Saravia added that another group of about 300 migrants Venezuelans traveled this Saturday back to their country, on two humanitarian flights.

The official highlighted that coordination is being carried out with Costa Rica and Colombia in order to execute joint actions between the three countries from their migration directorates, to protect these people from their vulnerability as migrants and assist them in their return.

Panama reported this Friday “a drastic decrease in the flow of migrants irregulars, mainly Venezuelans,” who arrive in the country through the Darién jungle, the border with Colombia, through which 208,866 people have entered so far this year, an unprecedented number.

“In the last three days, only 2,292 people have entered through the irregular route, of which 624 are Venezuelan nationals, which indicates a drastic decrease in this type of migration,” the Ministry of Public Security (Minseg) said in a statement. , who cited data from the SNM.

The drop in the figure occurs after the United States Government announced on October 12 the rule that indicates that every Venezuelan who enters that country, having irregularly crossed the border of Mexico and Panama, will be expelled to the territory Mexican.

In addition, those expelled will be excluded from the program through which the United States will give legal status for two years to 24,000 Venezuelans who arrive by plane and with sponsors.

“So far in 2022, a record number of 208,866 people have entered the country” through the jungle, with a little more than two months remaining to end the year. Of that amount, 148,052 are Venezuelan nationals,” the official Panamanian statement said on Friday.

In October, “57,304 people who have entered the flow of migrants irregular, of which 40,360 are Venezuelans”, specified the Minseg.

The dangerous Darien jungle has been for decades an irregular migration route used by people from all over the world who travel to the United States, despite the serious dangers it entails due to its wild environment and the presence of organized crime groups.

The region has suffered several crises of migrants irregular: of Cubans between 2015 and 2016; of Haitians in 2021 and this 2022 of Venezuelans, all fleeing crises in their countries and with the intention of reaching the US.

Panama has migratory reception stations (ERM) on its borders with Colombia (south) and Costa Rica (north), where it takes irregular travelers to take their biometric data and offer them health and food services, an operation that has consumed more than 50 million dollars since 2020 according to official data.

In the MRS there are “1,634 people, of whom 1,123 are men, 230 women, 149 boys and 139 girls,” the official statement said on Friday.

migrants Venezuelan irregulars are arriving at a temporary shelter of the Embassy of Venezuela, in the Panamanian capital, to manage their voluntary return to their country, after being forced to give up the “American dream” due to the new US regulations.

Source: Elcomercio

Ronald Payne

I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.