Panama president says repatriation of migrants crossing the Darien Gap will be voluntary

Associated Press

PANAMA CITY (AP) — Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino says that migrants entering Panama through the treacherous Darien Gap will only be sent back to their countries if they agree to do so, potentially diminishing the impact of stricter immigration enforcement Mulino had pushed. Mulino, who took office July 1, had promised to halt the rising flow of migrants entering his country from Colombia and reached an agreement for the U.S. government to pay for repatriation flights. But on Thursday, Mulino made clear whose problem this really is and minimized Panama’s role. “This is a United States problem that we are managing. People don’t want to live here in Panama, they want to go to the United States.”