At the end of the second meeting to discuss this issue, the director of the National Immigration Service of Panama, Samira Gozaine, called for respect and care for the Darien jungle, on the border with Colombia, which has become a route to the United States.

She urged to promote joint policies and actions so as to discourage passing through the jungle, referring to the travelers who have transited so far this year in excess of 210,000, a record number.

The migrants are received at reception stations where they get food and health services, in a humanitarian operation that has involved more than 50 million dollars since 2020, according to official data.

For Gozaine, it is necessary to find solutions to the scourge at regional level, since irregular migration is not just a problem for these three countries.

Referring to this issue, the director of the Immigration Service of Costa Rica, Marlen Luna Alfaro, pointed out that her government finds it very difficult to control migratory flow towards Panama, mostly of Venezuelan nationality.

The three countries issued a statement advocating a meeting with international organizations to expedite the delivery of funds urgently required by Panama to address the problem.

jrr/llp/mem/ga