Panama Sends More Migrants Home by Plane: New Flights to Ecuador, India, and China

Last updated on August 24th, 2024 at 07:39 am

It’s reported that one of the Central American countries, Panama, returns more migrants to their countries. The government announced it on Thursday to use planes for returning people to Ecuador, India, and China. The reason behind this is due to the ambitious plan of reducing the number of people passing through Panama to the United States.

Why Panama is doing this?

The new president of Panama, Jose Mulino, is trying to prevent that many migrants from passing through his country. Mulino said this in an encounter with reporters outlining his plan. The United States is cosponsoring these flights. All of this is happening only a few months before the important elections to be held in the U.S., in which illegal immigration has become one of the major topics.

The Dangerous Journey

For decades, hundreds of people from South America and beyond have struggled to reach the United States. In line with this, they cross one of the world’s most dangerous jungles: the Darien Gap. This jungle connects Colombia— a country in South America— to Panama. The journey is challenging and full of dangers.

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Who Will Be Sent Back?

He wouldn’t specifically mention who will be sent back on these planes. He didn’t tell us whether these people are in Panama legally or not, or if they have done something wrong. Herein lies important information that we do not know yet.

When Will the Flights Happen?

Here are some dates that Mulino gave for the flight:

– August 29, flights to Ecuador

– August 30, flights to Colombia

– September 3: Indian Flights

He also announced that there would be more flights to Colombia by 24th to the 30th of August. He, however, did not specify when flights to China will take place or the number in store.

This is indicative of the efforts of Panama, how determined they are to control the inflow of people passing through the country. They try to welcome people back into their origin instead of letting them pass on to the United States. It becomes difficult for people attempting to reach the States by transiting through Central America.

It’s a complicated issue because many of these people are leaving their homes to find better lives or to escape dangerous situations. But countries like Panama are concerned with how many people are coming through. The United States is also very concerned about this, which is why they are helping Panama pay for these flights.