US to Pay Panama to Thwart Regional Migration

On July 1, DHS announced a new US Department of State-funded “foreign assistance program” with Panama to “address irregular migration in the region.”

From the official announcement:

“This program will help the Panamanian government to remove foreign nationals who do not have a legal basis to remain in Panama. This assistance seeks to reduce unprecedented irregular migration through the Darien region, through which over 520,000 migrants transited in 2023.”

WaPo reports that this is a “pilot program” that the United States is sinking $6 million into.

WaPo quotes Marcela Escobari, a Biden immigration adviser, as saying this about the program: “We’re trying to send a clear message to anyone who is looking for protection or economic opportunity: choose legal, orderly, safe paths instead of putting your lives at risk.”

The paper quotes Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino as saying “I won’t allow Panama to be an open path for thousands of people who enter our country illegally.”

-KitJ