The US sent undocumented immigrants from Asian countries whose governments refused to accept them in Panama.
The military plane carrying 119 migrants from countries including Afghanistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, China, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Pakistan flew from California to Panama City on Wednesday.
The revelation that Panama has become a destination for immigrants from countries that have not agreed to bring the government back, following repeated threats by Donald Trump, and under the terms of the treaty signed in 1999 The recurring threat follows the US and the Panama Canal, which was handed over by ownership.
The agreement to accept immigration appears to have stemmed from a visit to Panama by Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week.
President of Panama, Jose Raul Murino; He told reporters This country has been subject to “119 people forming diverse nationalities around the world.”
The migrants were housed in local hotels and then transported to Darien Gap, a jungle area of South Panama, in a process managed by the International Migration Agency.
“I hope to get it out of there as soon as possible,” Murino said. “This is another contribution that Panama is making on its transition issues.”
He said the immigrants will eventually be transferred to their country of origin on a US-funded flight.
Panama is the latest Central American country that agrees to accept immigrants from other countries expelled from the United States after El Salvador and Guatemala provided similar arrangements.
CBS reported A second flight, which included deportation of Asians and Africans, was scheduled to depart for Panama on Thursday. The network said the flight includes Cameroonian citizens, citing internal government documents.
The Darien Gap, which separates Panama from Colombia, has become a busy transport route for immigrants passing through Central America on their way to the US. In 2023, more than half a million immigrants, mainly from Venezuela, traveled the Darien Jungle to Panama. The number fell to 300,000 last year.
