US and Panama sign agreement that aims to close the Darién Gap to ‘illegal migrants’

The US and Panama have signed an agreement on immigration issues that aims to “close the passage of illegal migrants” through the Darién Gap, the Central American government announced Monday.

“In the agreement signed today by the Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha and the Secretary of Homeland Security of the United States Alejandro Mayorcas, the US government undertakes to cover the cost of the repatriation of immigrants who enter illegally through Darién,” the Panama government said in a statement.

It said that under the memorandum of understanding the US would also support Panama with “equipment, transportation and logistics” regarding foreigners found “in violation of the immigration laws of Panama.”

Panama agreed to “comply with all international agreements and conventions on the rights of immigrants and those in refugee status,” it added.

Panama is home to the Darién Gap, a mountainous rainforest region connecting South and Central America, that has seen an increase in the number of migrants willing to risk their lives and safety to cross it. The 66-mile (106-kilometer) hike through the Darien Gap brings migrants from Colombia to Panama and is a crucial passage for those hoping to reach the United States and Canada.