The director of the National Migration Service (SNM), Samira Gozaine, announced that the Panamanian State has invested more than US$70 million in accommodation, food, evacuations, rescues and care for migrants. However, Gozaine regretted the lack of significant support from international cooperation to address the magnitude of the migration problem.

Gozaine stressed that the biometric controls implemented have been essential to identify dangerous criminals who try to hide among migrants, including rescuing children who are victims of kidnapping. In the biometric tests, people wanted in their countries for serious crimes such as pedophilia, terrorism, drug trafficking and homicide have been detected.

The Minister of Public Security, Juan Manuel Pino, praised the management of the Panamanian State in the migration crisis since 2020, recognizing the challenges posed by the criminal profiles of some people who cross the Darién jungle to the United States.

Pino announced the holding of five charter flights next week to deport people with a criminal record detected by biometric evidence.

For his part, the director of the National Border Service (Senafront), Jorge Gobea, reported that since 2021 to date 1,760 migrants have been rescued along the Panamanian border through medical evacuations and rescue operations.

Gobea also mentioned that 321 arrests have been made of individuals, both national and foreign, involved in crimes against migrants on irregular migratory routes. Among the most common crimes are theft and rape.

Since January, more than 114,000 migrants have crossed the Darién jungle, with more than 20% being minors, which underlines the urgency of addressing this humanitarian challenge in a comprehensive and collaborative way.