Panama deports migrants through Darien Gap under US-funded program:

Panama has deported 29 Colombian nationals with criminal records who entered the country through the dangerous Darien Gap. The move marked the first implementation of a new repatriation agreement signed with the United States in July. The initiative aims to address the challenges of irregular migration in the region.

According to Panamanian Deputy Security Minister Luis Felipe Icaza, the United States financed the first flight under this agreement. Icaza confirmed with U.S. officials that the charter flight left early in the morning, bound for Bogota.

Before boarding, the deportees were carefully screened with metal detectors and were handcuffed as they walked up the steps of the plane. The group had no luggage, underscoring the somber nature of the operation.

Icaza noted that additional flights could follow as early as Friday or Saturday, depending on the implementation of the ongoing agreement between Panama and the United States. Washington has pledged $6 million to support these repatriations, part of a broader effort to reduce the number of irregular crossings at the U.S. southern border.

Initially, the agreement focuses on deporting migrants with criminal records. However, it could be expanded to include those who enter Panama through the dangerous Darien Gap en route to the United States. While this was the first deportation under the new deal, Panama earlier this year organized charter flights to return Colombian nationals with criminal records to their home country.

The Darien Gap, a treacherous region between Colombia and Panama, has become a major route for migrants traveling from South America through Central America and Mexico to the United States. Despite significant dangers, including threats from criminal gangs, more than half a million undocumented migrants, mostly Venezuelans, crossed the Darien Gap last year.

Countries such as Panama and Mexico are under increasing pressure from Washington to address the complex and sensitive issue of migration, especially in the context of a US election year. Costa Rica, as a neighbour, continues to monitor developments in migration policies and their regional impact.