Panama to completely close its borders with Colombia
Panama is reportedly considering closing its land border with neighboring Colombia due to the increase in irregular migrants entering the country in recent months. Panama's Prime Minister pointed out that 307 thousand people entered the country illegally this year.
In a statement made by the government of the Central American country of Panama, it was stated that the number of irregular migrants passing through the Darien Gap, which connects the border of the two countries and consists of wild forests, is rapidly increasing.
Pointing to the slow operation of international cooperation mechanisms and inadequate measures by Colombian authorities, the statement emphasized that the possibility of closing the land border withColombia is on the table in order to prevent irregular migration flows.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE COME DAILY
Juan Manuel Pino, Minister of Public Security of Panama, pointed out that 307 thousand people entered the country illegally this year.
"The number of irregular migrants has reached a record high and we are seeking international cooperation. We have the support of some NGOs, but this is not enough, the measures taken in the face of intense human mobility are insufficient, 2 thousand to 3 thousand people enter our country daily,” Pino said.
Pino stated that the cost of the government's assistance to irregular migrants exceeded 60 million dollars and said that they could not overcome this alone.
RIVERS FILLED WITH RUBBISH
Jorge Gobea, Director of Panama's National Border Service, emphasized that irregular migration flows cause serious damage to the environment.
"The effects of migration are extremely complex, more than 60 tonnes of rubbish have accumulated in the rivers. Migrants who use these routes do their needs randomly, which causes serious damage to the environment,” he said.
It was shared that the migrants crossing the Panama border were mostly Venezuelan, Haitian, Ecuadorian, and Chinese.
The Panamanian government announced that the irregular migrants entering the country illegally came from northern Colombia and accused neighboring Colombia of not taking sufficient measures.
In its statement on April 14, the United Nations (UN) reported that the number of irregular migrants trying to cross the Darien Gap, which is the route of irregular migrants on the border of the Central American country Panama and the South American country Colombia, could increase to 400 thousand this year.
Source: Anadolu Agency
