Panama is preparing for a significant change in its immigration policy that could affect areas from the dense Darien jungle to the U.S. border.
President-elect José Raúl Mulino plans to close a migration route used by over 500,000 people last year. Until now, Panama has facilitated the transit of migrants through its territory to continue their journey north.
Experts are unsure whether Mulino can effectively reduce migration through a sparsely populated region with little government presence.
“Panama and our Darien are not just a route for passing through. It is our border,” Mulino emphasized after securing victory with 34% of the vote in Sunday’s election, officially confirmed on Thursday. He will assume office on July 1.
During his campaign, the 64-year-old lawyer and former security minister promised to end what he called “the Darien odyssey that serves no purpose.”
Migrants (Jimmy Baker/Getty Images)
The migrant route through the narrow isthmus has become increasingly popular in recent years, facilitated by organized crime in Colombia. It has provided an affordable but perilous land route for hundreds of thousands of people.
This route gained popularity as countries like Mexico, under pressure from the U.S., imposed visa restrictions on various nationalities, including Venezuelans and recently Peruvians, to prevent migrants from entering solely to continue on to the U.S. border.
Despite the challenges, large groups of people have embarked on foot through the jungle-covered border between Colombia and Panama. Initially taking a week or more, the journey has been streamlined to two or three days as the path became more established, aided by local entrepreneurs offering various support services.
