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Situation
By the end of June, 2,927 people had entered Panama through the Darien jungle, with only 96 individuals recorded during the year's second quarter.
This marks a 99 per cent decrease compared to last year, reflecting the impact of regional dynamics, Panama’s stricter border measures, and the departure of over 50 repatriation flights under the joint US Memorandum of Understanding. In this context, the Government announced the closure of Lajas Blancas’ Temporary Reception Centre, previously the main border facility for those arriving through the jungle in recent years.
In contrast, a growing number of people continue to attempt to return south as part of ‘reverse flows’, entering through the western border and later navigating dangerous sea routes from Colón communities and the Guna Yala territories toward Colombia. In June, in coordination with Costa Rican authorities, the National Aeronaval Service (SENAN) facilitated the movement of 109 people to La Miel, near the Colombian border, at a symbolic cost. Panamanian officials had recorded nearly 12,000 people this year as part of this trend, mainly from Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Nepal, Cameroon, and Iran.
In June, Panama and the US renewed their bilateral migration agreement, adding USD 7 million to support deportation operations and management of irregular crossings. By the end of that month, Panama had deported or expelled nearly 2,350 individuals under this framework.