[Illegal] Migration at the Panama-Colombia Border

[Keith Woolford]

Related CBS documentary which I posted on my blog, by coincidence, exactly a year ago.

 

Edited June 30, 2019 by Keith Woolford

[Moderator_02]

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Health Ministry to provide humane care for northbound migrants

Posted 08/07/2019

Panama’s Ministry of Health (Minsa),  has announced an inter-institutional team led by doctors and nurses to care for migrants camped in   Darien waiting to continue their trek towards the United States.  

The Ministry ns other government entities, made a tour in the community of La Peñita de Darién, to check the health and safety situation of thousands of migrants who are passing through the province.

To date at least 25 migrant deaths have been recorded, while others have disappeared in the jungle or been swept away in rivers.

After the tour, the Ministry announced that in the coming days will join an inter-institutional tour will be held in the camp, where migrants will be treated in a comprehensive manner, emphasizing the health needs of the people.  

According to the Ministry, there are currently at least 1,200 people of both sexes, from different countries and continents such as Africa, America, and the Middle East.  

"The tour saw a large number of minors and pregnant women who risk their lives with their families to reach North America," said the Minsa statement.

Health Minister, Rosario Turner, gave instructions for l doctors and nurses to lead the medical tour, in order to care for these migrants who require "as soon as possible effective, timely, dignified and humane care".

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/health-ministry-to-provide-humane-care-for-northbound-migrants-1

[Moderator_02]

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Panama Follows Mexico in Clamping Down on Illegal Migrants

By Jason Peña on July 29, 2019

The National Migration Service (SNM) of Panama recently reported the country's latest deportation data. The Nicaraguan news website El Nuevo Diario reported, the removal of 531 Nicaraguan migrants from Panama for the first six months of 2019, nearly 25 percent of the total of 2,034 foreigners repatriated to their home countries during this time. Of the 531 migrants, 86 were formally deported by Panamanian immigration officials, 12 were prohibited from returning to country, and the remaining 433 migrants voluntarily returned to Nicaragua. The month of June represented the highest number of migrant removals of 2019, with 24 formal deportations of Nicaraguan citizens.

The SNM data indicates that while Nicaraguans comprise a large share of deportations and permanent bans from Panama, the country ranks third behind Cubans and Colombians. Panamanian immigration officials have generally utilized "voluntary return" as the primary method for immigration enforcement. Additionally, since 2017, Panama has adopted stricter immigration policies. Presidential Decree 269, mandates any foreign tourist on Panama's soil must depart after 90 days; the previous limit was 180 days.

Presidential Decree 269 was specifically crafted to address the recent influx of Nicaraguans, Colombians, and Venezuelans. According to SNM official data, 2018 witnessed over 1,066 returns of Nicaraguans from Panama – a 33.4 percent drop compared to 2017, when 1,603 were sent back. Between 2010 and 2018, there were over 6,431 deportations of Nicaraguans from Panama, with 1,000 of those deportations occurring in the last four years. Data from the SNM lists visa overstays as the primary reason for deportation, followed by illegal entry into Panama, national security risks, and "remaining irregularly" in the country.

In recent months, Panama's neighbors Mexico, Guatemala, and Costa Rica have also experienced a high volume of migrants at their borders.

 

https://cis.org/Pena/Panama-Follows-Mexico-Clamping-Down-Illegal-Migrants

 

[Moderator_02]

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Trump wants Darien trek asylum survivors returned to Panama

Many die on the perilous journey through the Darien jungle

Posted 21/08/2019

The Trump administration wants to reach an agreement with the Government of Panama that allows the United States to return to the Isthmus asylum seekers from Africa, Asia, and other places, who survived the perilous journey across Darien en route to the US.

The news was carried in The Washington Post, on Monday, August 20.

The "third safe country" agreement would apply mainly to the "relatively small but growing" number of "extracontinental" asylum seekers who arrive in South America, before heading north to Panama, through wild forests and muddy rivers, according to the report

The newspaper said that the US interim secretary of National Security Kevin McAleenan, will travel to Panama City to meet with President Laurentino Cortizo with the aim of "discussing regional cooperation to address irregular migration," said a Department of Homeland Security statement. 

Before leaving for Panama, McAleenan said the purpose of his trip is a "broader agenda" and not to negotiate a specific agreement, according to the Post. "We are going to talk about our broad security relationship and the solid basis for exchanging information with Panama."

According to McAleenan, this will include the movement of drugs across the region, smugglers and human traffickers, and a dialogue on irregular migration flows.

The visit is part of the efforts of the Trump administration to establish agreements of a "safe third country" throughout the hemisphere, which will allow US authorities to reject asylum seekers on the border between Mexico and the United States and send them to other countries willing to offer shelter.

Kevin McAleenan already reached an agreement at the end of last July with the Guatemalan government that, if implemented, would allow the United States to send Honduran and Salvadoran asylum seekers there.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/media-watch/trump-wants-darien-trek-asylum-survivors-returned-to-panama

[Keith Woolford]

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The Trump administration wants to reach an agreement with the Government of Panama that allows the United States to return to the Isthmus asylum seekers from Africa, Asia, and other places, who survived the perilous journey across Darien en route to the US.

Why should Panama become a dumping ground for rejected U.S. asylum seekers?  These folks are not from Panama and they passed through other countries before reaching here.

 

[Siempre Soluciones]

13 minutes ago, Keith Woolford said:

Why should Panama become a dumping ground for rejected U.S. asylum seekers?  These folks are not from Panama and they passed through other countries before reaching here.

 

 

The Americas should adopt the UN law in Europe that allows asylum seekers to be returned to the country of entry.  If they're entering Panama via Colombia then it would be Colombia.

 

[Moderator_02]

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MEDIAWATCH: US pressures Panama on migrant flow through Hell's Gap

Acting U.S. homeland security secretary Kevin McAleenan, center, shakes hands with Panamanian Border Police officers during a visit to the Peñitas humanitarian camp (Arnulfo Franco/AP)

Posted 28/08/2019

PEÑITAS, Panama Washington Post, Aug, 27— A Panama official thumbed through the soft soiled pages of a ragged Pakistani passport for a man who had just emerged from the jungle.

The disheveled migrant stared ahead as the nation’s interior minister and acting U.S. homeland security secretary Kevin McAleenan reviewed the visa stamps inside the worn document: Yemen, Djibouti, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.

The man had traveled all over a distant hemisphere but had found his way to a humanitarian camp on the edge of one of the most dangerous corridors in Latin America.

“We got to take a look at this cat,” McAleenan said as he watched an agent take fingerprints, retinal scans and other biometrics, destined for an information-sharing program that checks the data against U.S. and international criminal databases.

The relationship between the Panamanian and U.S. governments is one of enduring cooperation since the early days of the Panama Canal, but the explosion of migrants from outside Latin America traversing the isthmus to journey north to the United States has triggered a new conversation about border security. This group of migrants — known as extracontinentals — immigrate to South American countries to work and, after some time, continue north.

The 100 miles of dense tropical rainforest, marshland and treacherous rivers known as the Darien Gap has been a natural barrier to intercontinental migration for years because there is no road linking South America and North America. U.S. officials estimate that about a decade ago, fewer than 100 people per year attempted to travel through the remote wilderness, home to paramilitary guerrillas, traffickers, and indigenous tribes. This year, more than 17,000 migrants, primarily from Haiti and Cuba — and from as far away as Nepal, Burkina Faso and Congo — have paid smugglers to lead them along footpaths next to swollen waterways or used WhatsApp to follow a trafficker’s directions. They face dangers from wildlife, criminals, and disease.

Those who survive to continue on their way to the United States, and some arrive with plans to harm the country, DHS officials said. Panama, in conjunction with U.S. authorities, has repatriated two people from the Middle East who came through the Darien this year and were on lists of potential terrorists or those with possible links to terrorism.

“There is shared concern about movements of extra continentals, especially from outside the hemisphere, that could present security risks,” McAleenan said. “The goal was to engage partner governments that have that first opportunity, when someone is entering the hemisphere and who is clearly intending to migrate.”

McAleenan traveled last week to the 100-mile-long Panama-Colombia border as part of meetings with leaders from seven Central American countries and Colombia to discuss stronger security collaborations.

The acting secretary said he didn’t come to negotiate a specific agreement but the meetings are part of a broader DHS effort to help countries rework their asylum and immigration institutions. Together with its partners, DHS says it not only wants to stop lucrative trafficking networks but also prepare those governments to potentially take in U.S.-bound migrants who officials say are overwhelming the U.S. immigration system.

Under threat of U.S. tariffs, the Guatemalan president signed one such deal that could prevent thousands of Central Americans destined for the United States from reaching the border with Mexico. But the widely unpopular deal is on hold after Guatemala’s Constitutional Court ruled that any “safe third country” agreement would require legislative approval.

Interior Minister Enrique Degenhart said his government is waiting on clarification from the courts, but he is confident Guatemala has the means and right implementation plans to grant asylum to Honduran and Salvadoran migrants within their borders.

here is no such deal in the works for Panama, the Panamanian president said. During his trip, McAleenan talked to and toured the Peñitas humanitarian camp with Security Minister Rolando Mirones.

“What we need are regional solutions, not bilateral ones,” Mirones told reporters before the summit. “It’s not a problem that can be solved bilaterally.”

But there were other areas where bilateral negotiations are necessary, McAleenan said. U.S. law enforcement officials have deep ties in Panama, where local agents are embedded in the country’s sea and airports and help support local drug-trafficking investigations.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection bought the giant screening machines that take X-ray images of suspicious shipping containers at four of the country’s marine ports. And at the Panamanian border in the Darien, U.S. officials supplied Panama’s border security force, SENAFRONT, with the devices that capture fingerprints, photographs and iris scans to process the influx of migrants showing up at the Peñitas camp.

The migrants often arrive emaciated, sick and dangerously dehydrated after seven to 10 days of traveling the jungle, officials said. Humanitarian groups provide food, medical attention for maladies such as dysentery and dengue fever, and filtered water from a muddy river to quench their thirst.

Agents, meanwhile, register biometric information from 50 to 60 migrants a day into BITMAP, or the Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program, inside a guard shack. But the migrants can bypass the authorities at the camp to avoid detection.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/world/mediawatch-us-pressures-panama-on-migrant-flow-through-hells-gap

[Moderator_02]

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US Homeland Security head in Panama to talk drugs, migrants

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUGUST 21, 2019 06:42 PM, UPDATED AUGUST 21, 2019 10:43 PM

The U.S. acting homeland security secretary has arrived in Panama to discuss drug trafficking and migrant smuggling, though Kevin McAleenan says he isn't seeking any specific agreement during the visit.

Panama has been the bridge for many migrants from Haiti, Africa and Asia who arrive in South America seeking to reach the U.S. border. Panama is also a route for cocaine and other drugs moving up from South America.

In statements before he arrived Wednesday, McAleenan said the United States wants to involve Colombia and Costa Rica in talks on how to handle the flow of migrants.

Panama is reviewing its current policy of providing camps for migrants who enter by a narrow jungle land bridge from South America and then allowing them to move north.

 

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/nation-world/world/article234239932.html

[Siempre Soluciones]

On 8/22/2019 at 8:41 AM, Siempre Soluciones said:

 

The Americas should adopt the UN law in Europe that allows asylum seekers to be returned to the country of entry.  If they're entering Panama via Colombia then it would be Colombia.

 

 

In the past couple of weeks I've been asked about clarifying the UN law as it pertains to refugees in Europe so I'll post it here since I bet there are people here that are probably curious too.

 

A majority of the millions of refugees from the Middle East and North Africa that have sought asylum in Europe entered through Turkey via boats into Greece and then on to their final destination countries in Europe.  There's a UN law that allows European countries to return refugees to the country of origin where a refugee entered Europe.  A couple of years back German Chancellor Merkel toyed with the idea of exercising this law to reduce their burden associated with these refugees thus returning refugees to Greece.  Chancellor Merkel received mixed responses from other European nations.  Understandably Greece claimed that exercising this UN law it would put an over whelming burden on their country. 

 

The US has forged agreements similar to this UN law with several Central American countries with Guatemala being the latest in order to curtail the influx of refugees into the US which is on track to total more than one million for the 2019 calendar year.

 

The basis for this is that asylum can't be economic based since it would set a precedent.  It would allow refugees to country "shop" say first by seeking asylum in the US and then determining that the standard of living is higher in Switzerland and then subsequently seeking asylum there and then perhaps next to an oil rich nation such as Kuwait.

 

 

 

[Moderator_02]

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Panama sees more than seven-fold increase in number of migrant children crossing through Darien Gap

Nearly 24,000 people from more than 50 nationalities, 16 per cent of whom are children, crossed the dangerous jungle in 2019

05 March 2020

© UNICEF/UNI308584/Urdaneta

Romeu Mauricio and his son Jetfro (3) crossing the Darien dividing Colombia and Panama.

 

PANAMA CITY / NEW YORK, 6 March 2020 — The number of migrant children crossing the Darien Gap, a jungled portion of land separating Colombia from Central America, increased more than seven-fold to nearly 4,000 in 2019 from 522 the year before – UNICEF announced today. Approximately 50 per cent of the children were under 6 years old. Migrants who crossed in 2019 hailed from more than 50 different countries including India, Somalia, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Bangladesh.

The findings are based on data from national migration services.

The UN children’s agency went on to warn of the grave risks facing migrant children and their families who make this perilous journey. Risks include no access to safe water, as well as exposure to natural hazards, dangerous animals, robbery, abuse and exploitation.

“The dramatic increase in the number of migrant children moving through the Darien Gap underscores the urgent need for action to protect these children and ensure their access to essential services such as healthcare, water and hygiene,” said UNICEF Representative for Panama Kyungsun Kim. “This requires coordinated and strengthened efforts from governments and humanitarian actors on the ground responding to the flow of children on the move and their needs.”   

Migrants arriving to Panama after crossing the Darien Gap are received at the Migrant Reception Station (ERM) shelter of La Peñita in Darien Province, one of the least developed provinces of Panama. They are then transported by Migration Authorities to the ERM of Los Planes in Chiriqui Province at the border with Costa Rica. Most will continue northwards, hoping to reach the U.S. or Canada.

UNICEF and its partners support national efforts to protect the rights of children on the move, while in transit through Panama. This work includes the development of local and national capacities while implementing the following interventions:

• The provision of humanitarian supplies, nutritional screenings, pregnancy check-ups and healthcare for arriving migrants;
• Installation of water systems bringing more than 30,000 litres of safe water per day for migrants, host communities, school and government institutions;
• Support for improvement of sanitation conditions and hygiene practices; and
• Establishment of child-friendly spaces where migrant and local children can play and receive psychosocial and early childhood development support, and where mothers can rest and breastfeed their babies safely.

As the number of migrant children crossing the Darien Gap is expected to rise, UNICEF will continue its presence on the ground – providing services in water and sanitation, health, and child protection for the remainder of 2020. This will help strengthen local and national capacities to respond to the needs of not only migrant children but also those who live in the host communities.

UNICEF urges governments and the international community to take immediate action to help protect all refugee and migrant children, including:

1. Tackle the root causes driving children from their homes;
2. Ensure access to education, healthcare and other essential services for all migrant children;
3. Keep families together;
4. End detention of migrant children and put in place alternative care measures;
5. Eradicate xenophobia and discrimination; and
6. Protect child migrants from exploitation and violence.

 

https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/panama-sees-more-seven-fold-increase-number-migrant-children-crossing-through-darien

[Moderator_02]

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No debemos dejar atrás a los migrantes en Darién: Organización para las Migraciones

Ohigginis Arcia Jaramillo

15 abr 2020 - 12:00 AM

 

 

El Minsa y autoridades locales decretaron un cerco o en la comunidad de La Peñita, en Metetí, DariénCortesía

 

Como parte de las medidas para mitigar la propagación del Covid-19, unos 2 mil migrantes que se encontraban en tránsito por el país, con destino a Norteamérica, se encuentran varados a lo largo de las estaciones de recepción migratoria en las fronteras de Darién y Chiriquí.

Frente a esto, la Alcaldía de Pinogana, el Servicio Nacional de Fronteras (Senafrot) y el Ministerio de Salud (Minsa) establecieron el pasado 13 de abril un cerco sanitario en la comunidad de La Peñita, en Metetí, Darién, donde se han reportado varios casos de migrantes contagiados con el SARS-CoV-2.

De hecho, en La Peñita hay un refugio que da albergue a más de 2 mil migrantes, no obstante, hay unos 50 en aislamiento por sospecha del nuevo coronavirus. Además, las autoridades locales informan sobre más de 20 migrantes contagiados.

Nadine Gonzalez, alcalde de Pinogana, señaló que durante las dos semanas en las que se presentó el primer caso en el país pudieron controlar el ingreso del virus en Darién. De hecho, está provincia pasó de tener 0 casos a 90 en menos de 15 días.

González manifestó que el virus llegó a Darién presuntamente por el relevo de las autoridades de Senafrot, entre el 17 y 18 de marzo, el cual consideró no se debió haber hecho. “A raíz del aumento de casos ahora sí se cancelaron los relevos”, acotó.

La alcaldesa destacó que los agentes de Senafront son humanos y no quieren enfermarse, pero la gran cantidad de contactos y contagios en Darién coincidió con estos cambios de turnos.

“El Senafront siempre será un aliado estratégico para Darién. Además, pedimos más transparencia ya que no manejamos información oficial del Minsa, de si los casos en Darién son comunitarios o importados”, concluyó González.

La Dirección Regional del Minsa en Darién informó que desde hace varias semanas están brindando atención a los migrantes, aunque prefirieron no dar más detalles sobre la situación con el Covid-19.

Santiago Paz, jefe de Misión de la Organización Internacional para las Migraciones (OIM) en Panamá, manifestó que en esta crisis sanitaria no se debe dejar atrás a los migrantes de Darién, ya que proteger los derechos de esta población significa responder a las necesidades humanitarias de todos.

Informó que la OIM les hizo entrega de 40 bolsas de alimentos que han sido preparadas para grupos de 5 personas cada una, con una duración estimada de entre 5 a 6 días, buscando suministar productos de primera necesidad y mitigar el riesgo de la propagación del virus.

 

Moderator comment: Below is an unedited automated translation of the above news article.

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We must not leave migrants behind in Darien: Organization for Migration

Ohigginis Arcia Jaramillo
Apr 15, 2020 - 12:00 AM

<<image.png>>

The Minsa and local authorities decreed a fence or in the community of La Peñita, in Metetí, Darién Courtesy

As part of the measures to mitigate the spread of Covid-19, some 2,000 migrants who were in transit through the country, bound for North America, are stranded along immigration reception stations on the Darien and Chiriqui.

Against this, the Mayor of Pinogana, the National Border Service (Senafrot) and the Ministry of Health (Minsa) established on April 13 a sanitary fence in the community of La Peñita, in Metetí, Darién, where they have been reported several cases of migrants infected with SARS-CoV-2.

In fact, in La Peñita there is a shelter that houses more than 2,000 migrants, however, there are about 50 in isolation on suspicion of the new coronavirus. In addition, local authorities report more than 20 infected migrants.

Nadine Gonzalez, mayor of Pinogana, pointed out that during the two weeks in which the first case was presented in the country, they were able to control the entry of the virus in Darien. In fact, this province went from having 0 cases to 90 in less than 15 days.

González stated that the virus reached Darien presumably by the relay of the Senafrot authorities, between March 17 and 18, which he considered should not have been done. "As a result of the increase in cases, the relays were now canceled," he said.

The mayor stressed that Senafront agents are human and do not want to get sick, but the large number of contacts and infections in Darien coincided with these shift changes.

“The Senafront will always be a strategic ally for Darién. In addition, we ask for more transparency since we do not handle official information from the Minsa, as to whether the cases in Darién are community or imported, "González concluded.

The Regional Directorate of Minsa in Darien reported that for several weeks they have been providing care to migrants, although they preferred not to give more details about the situation with Covid-19.

Santiago Paz, Head of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Panama, stated that in this health crisis, migrants from Darien should not be left behind, since protecting the rights of this population means responding to humanitarian needs of all.

He reported that the IOM delivered 40 bags of food that have been prepared for groups of 5 people each, with an estimated duration of between 5 to 6 days, seeking to supply essential products and mitigate the risk of the virus spreading.

 

https://www.prensa.com/impresa/panorama/no-debemos-dejar-atras-a-los-migrantes-en-darien-organizacion-para-las-migraciones/

[Moderator_02]

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La pandemia del COVID-19 frena la migración irregular a Panamá en tránsito hacia EE.UU.

El director de la OIM explicó que entiende que Panamá y Costa Rica "están en negociaciones" para permitir el tránsito de los migrantes hacia el norte, aunque indicó que ve "poco probable en el corto plazo" una solución a la situación

Por EFE Servicios
Actualizado 07/04/2020 16:11

Cerca de 24,000 personas de más de 50 nacionalidades, de los cuales el 16% son niños, niñas y adolescentes, cruzaron la peligrosa selva panameña en 2019. Cortesía | UNICEF

La crisis mundial por el COVID-19 frenó desde marzo pasado la llegada a Panamá de migrantes irregulares en tránsito hacia el norte del continente, dijeron este martes las autoridades del país, donde se mantienen en albergues alrededor de 2.000 de esas personas.

El Servicio Nacional de Migración (SNM) de Panamá informó de que "desde inicios del mes de marzo, cuando se cerraron las fronteras y pasos de migrantes de los países suramericanos como medidas de control del COVID-19, Panamá no ha recibido más extranjeros irregulares, que acostumbraban a ingresar por las trochas de la selva de Darién".

El Darién es la peligrosa frontera natural entre Colombia y Panamá, el país de entrada a Centroamérica, y por allí han transitado en los últimos años decenas de miles de migrantes procedentes de todo el mundo que se dirigen hacia Norteamérica, causado así crisis humanitarias periódicas en el istmo.

En ese contexto, Panamá ha levantado albergues tanto en Darién, como en Gualaca, su frontera sur, con Costa Rica, que acogen a este flujo de migrantes que había sido perenne al menos hasta marzo pasado de acuerdo con la información oficial panameña.

"El flujo ha bajado mucho desde Colombia", dijo a EFE el director Regional para Centroamérica y el Caribe de la Organización Internacional para las Migraciones (OIM), Marcelo Pisani.

Pero el cierre de las fronteras como parte de las medidas de emergencia para contener la propagación del nuevo coronavirus que provoca la enfermedad COVID-19, también ha impedido que alrededor de 2.000 migrantes extracontinentales puedan salir de Panamá.

"En el caso de los extracontinentales, ellos están en este momento en albergues en la frontera de Panamá. Se calcula que son alrededor de 2.000. En un albergue hay 360 y en otro 1.600 más o menos. Costa Rica cerró su frontera", precisó el funcionario internacional.

El director de la OIM explicó que entiende que Panamá y Costa Rica "están en negociaciones" para permitir el tránsito de los migrantes hacia el norte, aunque indicó que ve "poco probable en el corto plazo" una solución a la situación.

La Dirección de Migración de Costa Rica anunció el pasado 24 de marzo un acuerdo con Panamá para permitir el paso de 2.600 migrantes, pero debido a la crisis sanitaria internacional el convenido se suspendió y solo pudieron cruzar alrededor de un centenar, de acuerdo con datos costarricenses facilitados a EFE por fuentes oficiales.

ENTREGAN MASCARILLAS A MIGRANTES EN ALBERGUES

El Servicio Nacional de Migración de Panamá informó este martes de que ha distribuido mascarillas de protección y materiales de prevención contra el COVID-19 en los albergues migratorios de Darién y Gualaca.

"A los extranjeros irregulares se les brinda orientación para la prevención de contagio del COVID-19, mientras que se les instruye sobre al uso de las mascarillas, el gel alcoholado y demás elementos que coadyuvan a mantenerlos a salvo de la pandemia", dijo la oficina panameña de Migración en un comunicado.

En estos operativos participan las fuerzas de seguridad y Ministerio de Salud "con lo que se garantiza que la enfermedad no cale en estos grupos vulnerables", añadió la autoridad migratoria de Panamá, el país más castigado por la pandemia del COVID-19 en Centroamérica con 2.100 contagios confirmados y 55 fallecidos.

El directo de la OIM dijo a EFE que una "preocupación" de este organismo internacional es que los migrantes, independientemente de su condición legal, sean incluidos en los programas de atención y ayuda que están desarrollando los gobiernos en el marco de la crisis provocada por la pandemia.

"Y nos preocupan los posibles brotes de xenofobia. Es importante considerar que los migrantes no son en sí vectores del virus (...) no hemos encontrado ningún caso" de contagio en esta población, agregó Pisani.

 

Moderator comment: Below is an unedited automated translation of the above news article.

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The COVID-19 pandemic stops irregular migration to Panama in transit to the United States.

The director of the IOM explained that he understands that Panama and Costa Rica "are in negotiations" to allow the transit of migrants to the north, although he indicated that he sees a solution to the situation "unlikely in the short term"

By EFE Servicios
Updated 04/07/2020 16:11

<<5e627f9db4095.r_d.928-913-5500.jpeg>>

Nearly 24,000 people of more than 50 nationalities, of whom 16% are children and adolescents, crossed the dangerous Panamanian jungle in 2019. Courtesy | UNICEF

The global crisis caused by COVID-19 has stopped the arrival in Panama of irregular migrants in transit to the north of the continent since last March, the country's authorities said on Tuesday, where around 2,000 of these people are kept in shelters.

The National Migration Service (SNM) of Panama reported that "since the beginning of March, when the borders and crossings of migrants from South American countries were closed as control measures of COVID-19, Panama has not received any more irregular foreigners , who used to enter through the trails of the Darien jungle. "

Darien is the dangerous natural border between Colombia and Panama, the country of entry to Central America, and in recent years tens of thousands of migrants from all over the world have been traveling to North America, thus causing periodic humanitarian crises in the isthmus.

In this context, Panama has set up shelters in both Darien and Gualaca, its southern border, with Costa Rica, which welcome this flow of migrants that had been perennial at least until last March, according to official Panamanian information.

"The flow has dropped a lot from Colombia," Marcelo Pisani, Regional Director for Central America and the Caribbean of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), told EFE.

But the closure of the borders as part of the emergency measures to contain the spread of the new coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19, has also prevented around 2,000 extra-continental migrants from leaving Panama.

"In the case of extra-continentals, they are currently in shelters on the Panama border. It is estimated that there are around 2,000. In one shelter there are 360 and in another 1,600 or so. Costa Rica closed its border," he said. the international official.

The OIM director explained that he understands that Panama and Costa Rica "are in negotiations" to allow migrants to move north, although he indicated that he sees "a solution in the short term as unlikely".

The Costa Rican Migration Directorate announced on March 24 an agreement with Panama to allow the passage of 2,600 migrants, but due to the international health crisis the agreement was suspended and only around one hundred could cross, according to Costa Rican data provided to EFE by official sources.

THEY DELIVER MASKS TO MIGRANTS IN SHELTERS

The National Migration Service of Panama reported on Tuesday that it has distributed protective masks and prevention materials against COVID-19 in the Darien and Gualaca migrant shelters.

"Irregular foreigners are given guidance on the prevention of COVID-19 transmission, while they are instructed on the use of masks, alcohol gel and other elements that help keep them safe from the pandemic," said the Panamanian Immigration Office in a statement.

The security forces and the Ministry of Health participate in these operations "thereby guaranteeing that the disease does not permeate these vulnerable groups," added the Panamanian immigration authority, the country hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in Central America with 2,100 confirmed infections and 55 deaths.

The IOM director told EFE that a "concern" of this international organization is that migrants, regardless of their legal status, are included in the care and aid programs that governments are developing in the context of the crisis caused by the pandemic.

"And we are concerned about possible outbreaks of xenophobia. It is important to consider that migrants are not themselves vectors of the virus ... we have not found any case" of contagion in this population, added Pisani.

 

https://www.laestrella.com.pa/nacional/200407/pandemia-covid-19-frena-migracion-irregular-panama-transito-ee-uu

[Brundageba]

This last article was written April 7  (before the first one dated April 14).  That Apr 7 article states " no need for xenophobia, the migrants are not vectors ( infected) ". 

One week later,  ( April 14 ) the  COVID numbers are: 50 isolated as "possible"  and 20 more as positives.  Two migrant camps: 360 people and 1600 people..to total + 2000 people !!! 

Although increases in illegal border crossings have diminished, Panama now shelters 2000 people that are not this country's citizens.   ( This, done for humanitarian reasons.)   Currently  there is a burden to not only feed and shelter, but to keep these persons free of COVID and as well attend to them when sick with it.    Tall order.  

[Moderator_02]

 

42 minutes ago, Brundageba said:

This last article was written April 7  (before the first one dated April 14).  That Apr 7 article states " no need for xenophobia, the migrants are not vectors ( infected) ".

The sequencing of those two articles was just by accident. I should have been more careful, but processed them in the order in which they came to me. I don't have a lot of spare time for do-overs, and the articles from Prensa and La Estrella are very time consuming.

Apologies.

[Brundageba]

No criticism of you Bud. The job you are doing for all of us here just because you care, is to be commended  !!

 No,  the point I was making is the author's caution "don't be xenophobic" as the people pose no risk as vectors.  This,  "as if"  there's no problem .  One week later it is quite clear there is a problem and it is owned by this country already strained.  Panama.

Edited April 15, 2020 by Brundageba

[Moderator_02]

Concur with your assessment. Funny (bad choice of wording here) how "it" is never a problem until it is a problem.

[Moderator_02]

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Cientos de migrantes entran al país pese a que frontera con Colombia sigue cerrada

Según datos del Servicio Nacional de Migración, a octubre se habían registrado mil 533 nuevos migrantes.

 

Olmedo Rodríguez

18 oct 2020 - 12:05 PM

 

La mayoría de los migrantes proviene de Haití, Cuba, Bangladesh, Nepal, Congo, Camerún e India. LP Archivo

La entrada a Panamá de migrantes de distintas partes del mundo por la frontera con Colombia se ha reanudado pese a que el vecino país mantiene -hasta el próximo 1 de noviembre- cerradas sus fronteras terrestres, marítimas y fluviales para evitar contagios del nuevo coronavirus.

Datos del Servicio Nacional de Migración (SNM) detallan que actualmente en el país hay 2 mil 582 migrantes varados en espera de que se les permita su salida para retomar su travesía por el istmo centroamericano en busca de un mejor futuro en el norte, particularmente en Estados Unidos.

Costa Rica cerró sus fronteras desde el 16 de marzo, lo que puso fin a la Operación Flujo Controlado de los dos países que busca garantizar la atención humanitaria al migrante, sin obviar lo inherente a la lucha contra el tráfico de seres humanos.

La semana pasada, el ministro de Seguridad de Panamá, Juan Pino, confirmó que en las últimas semanas han entrado al país, procedentes de Colombia, unos 300 nuevos migrantes. Pero en realidad, según datos del SNM, a octubre se habían registrado mil 533 nuevos migrantes.

La mayoría proviene de Haití, Cuba, Bangladesh, Nepal, Congo, Camerún e India. El cierre de las fronteras los obligó a quedarse aquí, lo que ha causado tensiones, a tal punto, de que las autoridades judiciales le adelantan un proceso a 12 haitianos, acusados de quemar carpas de plástico con medicinas en el campamento de La Peñita el pasado 1 de agosto. Ellos exigen mejores condiciones de alojamiento o que les dejen seguir hacia el norte del continente.

No es la primera vez que el flujo migratorio se frena. La llegada masiva de cubanos en 2015 y el cierre de fronteras que ordenó Nicaragua generó una crisis humanitaria en Panamá y Costa Rica.

Actualmente, según el SNM, se encuentran en varios campamentos o sitios de alojamiento, denominados “estaciones de recepción migratoria” (ERM). Se distribuyen así: La Peñita, 1652; Los Planes, 340; Bajo Chiquito, 237; San Vicente, 138; Laja Blanca, 131; Albergue Panamá, 3 y Metetí, 1.

Los migrantes sortean selva, ríos y muchas veces son víctimas de traficantes de personas o de bandas irregulares o narcotraficantes que operan en Colombia e incursionan en Panamá. Ello sin contar las viejas y nuevas enfermedades o las picaduras de serpientes a lo largo de los 266 kilómetros de frontera terrestre entre los dos países.

Del grupo que entró recientemente, dos fallecieron al estar contagiados por la Covid-19, según confirmaron las autoridades de seguridad.

Se trata de Sall Abdulaye Mamadou, de 28 años, nacido en Mauritania. Fue trasladado del Puesto Avanzado de Vigilancia de Bajo Chiquito, Darién, sin signos vitales, según un reporte oficial. La otra víctima fatal fue Bana Saint Halaine, de 50 años, de nacionalidad haitiana. Ella estaba con un grupo de 10 migrantes que recién había llegado, procedente de Colombia y que se había asilado del resto, precisamente por el temor a los contagios.

Según el SNM, a los migrantes que están contagiados o han sido contactos directos de estos se les envía a Lajas Blanca, que es una especie de estación hospital, bajo la supervisión del Ministerio de Salud.

 

Moderator comment: Below is an unedited automated translation of the above news article.

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Hundreds of migrants enter the country despite the fact that the border with Colombia remains closed

According to data from the National Migration Service, as of October 1,533 new migrants had been registered.

Olmedo Rodriguez
Oct 18, 2020 - 12:05 PM

<<UD2IKQ44LFFTHJU646UI2HBO5I.jpg>>
Most of the migrants come from Haiti, Cuba, Bangladesh, Nepal, Congo, Cameroon and India. LP File

The entry to Panama of migrants from different parts of the world through the border with Colombia has resumed despite the fact that the neighboring country maintains - until next November 1 - its land, sea and river borders closed to avoid contagion of the new coronavirus.

Data from the National Migration Service (SNM) detail that there are currently 2,582 stranded migrants in the country waiting to be allowed to leave to resume their journey through the Central American isthmus in search of a better future in the north, particularly in United States.

Costa Rica closed its borders since March 16, which put an end to the Controlled Flow Operation of the two countries that seeks to guarantee humanitarian assistance to the migrant, without forgetting what is inherent in the fight against human trafficking.

Last week, Panama's Security Minister, Juan Pino, confirmed that in recent weeks some 300 new migrants have entered the country from Colombia. But in reality, according to data from the SNM, as of October 1,533 new migrants had been registered.

Most come from Haiti, Cuba, Bangladesh, Nepal, Congo, Cameroon and India. The closure of the borders forced them to stay here, which has caused tensions, to the point, that the judicial authorities advance a process to 12 Haitians, accused of burning plastic tents with medicines in the La Peñita camp in the past August 1st. They demand better accommodation conditions or that they be allowed to continue to the north of the continent.

It is not the first time that the migratory flow has stopped. The massive arrival of Cubans in 2015 and the closure of borders ordered by Nicaragua generated a humanitarian crisis in Panama and Costa Rica.

Currently, according to the SNM, they are in various camps or accommodation sites, called “migratory reception stations” (ERM). They are distributed as follows: La Peñita, 1652; The Plans, 340; Bajo Chiquito, 237; San Vicente, 138; Laja Blanca, 131; Albergue Panamá, 3 and Metetí, 1.

Migrants circumvent jungle, rivers and are often victims of human traffickers or irregular gangs or drug traffickers that operate in Colombia and enter Panama. This without counting the old and new diseases or snake bites along the 266 kilometers of land border between the two countries.

Of the group that recently entered, two died from being infected by Covid-19, as confirmed by security authorities.

He is Sall Abdulaye Mamadou, 28, born in Mauritania. He was transferred from the Bajo Chiquito Surveillance Outpost, Darien, without vital signs, according to an official report. The other fatal victim was Bana Saint Halaine, 50, of Haitian nationality. She was with a group of 10 migrants who had just arrived, from Colombia and who had been isolated from the rest, precisely because of fear of contagion.

According to the SNM, migrants who are infected or have been direct contacts of them are sent to Lajas Blanca, which is a kind of hospital station, under the supervision of the Ministry of Health.

 

https://www.prensa.com/judiciales/cientos-de-migrantes-entran-al-pais-pese-a-que-frontera-con-colombia-sigue-cerrada/

[Moderator_02]

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Flow of migrants climbs despite pandemic

Posted 17/02/2021

The irregular passage of migrants through Panama has risen despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2020, the irregular passage of 6,400 migrants was recorded up from 4,000 the previous year according to the Ombudsman's Office.

The director of the National Migration Service, Samira Gozaine, warned that the irregular flow of migrants from Colombia is further complicated because most of the arrivals do not have documents.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/flow-of-migrants-climbs-despite-pandemic

[Moderator_02]

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US-bound migrant crisis in Darien

Posted 06/04/2021

The flow of  Haitian, African and Cuban migrants bound for  the United  States is causing a crisis in the provision of public services in the Bajo Chiquito community in Darien.

Officials of the Ombudsman's Office, who carried out an inspection of the shelters where the migrants are, reported that many children and pregnant women who require medical attention have arrived in that town presenting signs of malnutrition, and adults who also require medical attention. health care.

They specified that families made up of up to five members, including children, spend up to 10 days in the jungle without food and in danger of being attacked by criminal gangs.

Some of them first arrived in countries such as Chile, Ecuador, and Brazil, and then continued their route to Panama, showing signs of exhaustion and stress.

Between Friday and Sunday, some 700 migrants from Colombia arrived, through jungle trails, to Bajo Chiquito.

Migrants have reported that on the Colombian side there are still a large number of people with the intention of making the journey through the jungle to reach Panama and then continue on their way to the United States.

According to reports from the National Border Service (Senafront), there are currently some 2,000 migrants who — in addition to providing shelter — have had to be provided with basic services.

Senafront reported that these migrants do not want to stay in the country, but that in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic it is necessary to establish biosafety protocols so that they can continue on their way.

The Senafront has reinforced its presence in the Bajo Chiquito region with the deployment of 80 additional agents to monitor the entry of migrants.

Reports from the Ministry of Security indicate that, from January to date, as a result of the opening of the borders, more than 7,000 migrants have arrived in the country, of which 3,400 are still in the country with the intention of continuing their transit to Central America.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/us-bound-migrant-crisis-in-darien

[Moderator_02]

 

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8 Indians, Ecuadorian and ‘coyote’ arrested in Darien

Posted 05/05/2021

Panamanian authorities reported this Tuesday that they intercepted 8 citizens from India and one from Ecuador when they were mobilized by an alleged human trafficker or "coyote" through a sector of the Darien province, bordering Colombia.

The migrants were located in a boat that was moving 4 nautical miles off the Los Delgados sector in the Darien province, said the National Border Service (Senafront).

The illegal migrants were intercepted together with an unidentified Panamanian citizen, who was placed under the order of the Public Ministry "for the possible Crime Against Humanity in the  Smuggling of Migrants."

Last week, the Panamanian Border Police detected in a sector of the Caribbean bordering Colombia a boat with 5 Cuban migrants who were mobilized by an alleged "coyote" or human trafficker, who was detained.

Thousands of migrants from various countries are entering the border between Panama and Colombia, both through the dangerous Darien jungle and by sea, who, moved by international criminal networks, cross several South American countries and are destined for North America.  Panama reported last Friday that it signed an agreement for Colombia to expeditiously provide information on irregular migrants heading to the country, which it described as "a first step to comprehensively and responsibly address the situation" of these people. in mobility. The Panamanian Foreign Minister, Erika Mouynes, proposed on April 9 in a virtual meeting with her Colombian counterpart, Claudia Blum, an agreement that allows a controlled flow of irregular migrants, similar to the one implemented with Costa Rica in 2016, when the massive arrival of people in transit generated a humanitarian crisis on the common border.

During the first quarter of 2021, 7,150 migrants entered Panama irregularly through Darién, 4,403 in March alone, according to data from the Foreign Ministry. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), in Colombia, reports that there are more than 10,000 irregular migrants and refugees waiting to pass to Panama on their journey to North America.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/8-indians-ecuadorian-and-coyote-arrested-in-darien

[Moderator_02]

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$7.6 million tender to feed transiting migrants

Posted 15/06/2021

The Public Security authorities of Panama are in search of a food supplier for migrants arriving at the Darien border.

The public tender for a breakfast, lunch, and dinner provider has a cost of $7.6 million for the delivery of the food portions for 365 days, that is, seven days a week. The proponent must prove that it has the infrastructure and sufficient capacity to be able to carry out the contract, for which it will have to present photographic evidence and specifications.

The diet provided must contain a sufficient and balanced amount to cover daily nutritional and energy needs, always providing within it, the three fundamental nutrients: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.

The proposals will be received on July 27, according to information published in Panamacompra.

Between January and April, 11,370 extraterritorial migrants arrived in Panama after crossing the  Darien jungle, according to data provided by the International Organization for Migration.

Panama has been receiving migratory flows for more than a decade, reaching its highest point in 2015 and 2016, when more than 30,000 arrived each year.

In 2020, as a result of the pandemic, migrant flows decreased, but now they threaten to overwhelm reception centers.

Hundreds of people, including pregnant women, minors, who travel with their parents, enter the country in precarious conditions due to dehydration, gastrointestinal conditions, and respiratory diseases.

Darién is considered one of the most dangerous irregular migrant routes in the world, not only because of the characteristics of a tropical forest - with y rivers and wild animals (snakes, jaguars) and insects such as mosquitoes that can transmit diseases - but because they hide organized crime groups.

The jungle without land communication routes has become an obligatory step for clandestine migration from South America to the United States. Migrants, mainly from Haiti, Asia, Africa, and Cuba, are moved by traffickers who have generated a humanitarian crisis.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/76-million-tender-to-feed-transiting-migrants

[Moderator_02]

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9,000  Panama-bound migrants collapse Colombia town

Posted 29/07/2021

EFE - The Colombian municipality of Necoclí, which is part of the Antioquia department (northwest), is collapsing under  the of  strain an unprecedented migration crisis and for with some 9,000,  people, mostly Haitians, seeking to reach Panama on their way to North America.

The mayor of this town of about 40,000 inhabitants, José Augusto Tobón, has decreed a public calamity and asked the National Government for help in the face of a situation that exceeds the capacities of the local authorities.

The official told the media that it is "the worst crisis in the history" of his municipality because thousands of migrants have not been able to buy tickets to continue on their way to Panama.

The migrants seek to reach other coastal areas by boat in order to enter the Darien Gap, the dangerous border jungle between Panama and Colombia, and continue on their way to North America.

"They have collapsed the health, public services, and food systems. We do not know what will happen to us, we have a health emergency because these people are not vaccinated and we are still under the effects of the covid," Tobón said.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/9000-panama-bound-migrants-collapse-colombia-town

[Moderator_02]

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Panama-Colombia talks on 10,000 stranded migrants

Posted 31/07/2021

Colombia proposed on Saturday, July 31, to dialogue with Panama to alleviate the crisis caused by an unusual flow of Haitian, African, Venezuelan, and Cuban migrants bound for North America on the border between the two countries.

"Immediate dialogues will begin with the Republic of Panama to agree that these migratory flows have a focus on arrival" to the Central American country, Defense Minister Diego Molano announced in a statement to the media. For several weeks, thousands of migrants have been waiting in the Colombian port of Necoclí for boats to take them to the border with Panama, the next stop on their journey to the United States or Canada.

The arrival of a large quantity exceeded the capacity of the local shipping company to take them to the border municipality of Acandí. Some 10,000 people, including numerous minors and pregnant women, are stranded in the municipality of 45,000 inhabitants, according to Molano.

The agglomeration of people in the middle of the pandemic makes the authorities fear an outbreak of coronavirus when the third wave that Colombia suffers subsides. But the residents of Necoclí celebrate the presence of the migrants because they boost the economy of the small tourist port hit by the pandemic, an AFP photographer confirmed.

The migrants rent hotel rooms and private houses while waiting for a place in the dozen boats that daily cross the Gulf of Urabá, one of the main transit points for migrants seeking to cross on foot to Panama through the jungle corridor. known as the Darién Gap, bound for Panama.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama-colombia-talks-on-10000-stranded-migrants

[Moderator_02]

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Panama to host  migrant crisis conference

Posted 02/08/2021

Panama’s Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes has invited her counterparts  In countries in the region involved in the growing irregular migration, to an August 11 meeting to find emergency solutions to the crisis.

According to a statement, it is a multidimensional phenomenon that cannot be tackled alone.

The meeting will have the already confirmed participation of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Costa Rica, through whose territories the migrant population travels with their primary destination  Mexico,  and onwards to the United States and Canada.

“Panama maintains that only with the collaboration of all the actors and instances with leadership and responsibility in the management of migration can its adverse effects be mitigated and advocates the establishment of dynamic mechanisms for the exchange of information throughout the migratory route along the continent,” says the statement. The meeting aims to achieve a robust commitment to eradicate dangerous and uncontrolled migration routes, respecting the right of all human beings to freedom of movement without putting life or property at risk.

"For Panama, it is a priority to favor the safe, orderly, and regular passage of migrants who arrive in its territory with the intention of continuing northward, consistent with its principles and with the international conventions that the country has signed," the statement added.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama-to-host-migrant-crisis-conference

[Moderator_02]

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Panama and Colombia agree to common front on migrant crisis

49,000 migrants have entered Panama through the Darien Gap this year

Posted 07/08/2021

Following a meeting between the Foreign Minister of Panama, Erika Mouynes, and the Foreign Minister and Vice President of Colombia, Marta Lucía Ramírez. Panama and Colombia agreed on Friday, August 6 to create a "common front" to establish a controlled and safe flow of migrants who transit the dangerous marine and jungle area of both countries.

A   work session will be held in Colombia on August 9, to define issues such as the transit route and the daily number of people who could move.

The meeting was also attended by the Minister of Security, Juan Manuel Pino, and his counterpart from the neighboring country, Diego Andrés Molano.

 Mouynes said ,the humanitarian crisis will only be solved if it is jointly addressed with the countries involved, taking into account that there is also a component of organized crime.

Ramírez stressed that the region is going through a "migratory tragedy" and they will face the situation from a humanitarian and security point of view.

  “This transit is generating very difficult social consequences for our countries. The binational work must be extended to other countries that have to do with the migration. In the first place, the origin of this migration is in Chile, but the destination is the United States and Canada, and for that reason, we must involve them, ”she said.

Official data shows that this year some 49,000 migrants have entered Panama through the Darien jungle and another 10,000 are waiting to cross.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/world/panama-and-colombia-agree-to-common-front-on-migrant-crisis