Panama Promises To Reduce Migrant Flow To US

The newly elected president-elect of Panama said last week that he would shut down one of the major migrant routes leading to the United States. The restriction would significantly reduce pressure on the southern border amid a new wave of migrants coming from South America and beyond.

President-elect Jose Raul Mulino said that he would shut down a major thoroughfare of migrants when he takes office.

BREAKING: Panama's new president José Mulino has promised to put an end to illegal migrants going through his country to cross the United States border. He defeated all the communist & socialist ruling parties in a MASSIVE upset

Mulino has pledged to shut down the crossing and… pic.twitter.com/kXuXeyapZO

— George (@BehizyTweets) May 6, 2024

Footage from last year showed the crossings across the dangerous Darien Gap that separates North and South America.

More than 500,000 migrants are estimated to have used the Darien Gap to enter North America, with many of them coming to the United States. Mulino said that the area is “not a transit route” but instead Panama’s “border.”

A number of factors have led to the increased flow of migrants from South America. Some are fleeing poor economic factors or drug wars in some of the nations on the continent. However, the largest factor has been the flow of Venezuelan migrants seeking refuge from the collapse of that nation’s socialist economy.

In addition, American officials also observed a significant increase of migrants attempting to cross into the country from areas outside of Latin America. This included a sharp hike in the number of Chinese nationals attempting to enter the United States.

The number of migrants crossing the southern border has increased dramatically since President Joe Biden took office in 2021. Overall, it is estimated that more than seven million migrants have entered the United States since then.

The flow of migrants has increased since the Biden administration announced the end of the Title 42 asylum program initiated by former President Donald Trump.

Last year saw the highest number of attempted crossings in the nation’s history, crossing three million for the first time. This included the highest monthly total on record, with more than 300,000 illegal immigrants trying to enter the country in December 2023.

This was the first time the weekly total exceeded 300,000.