At the weekly press conference the president specified that the voluntary nature of returning undocumented immigrants to their countries of origin is maintained, with the exception of illegal travelers who have criminal records and represent a security problem.

After signing a memorandum of understanding with the United States on July 1, the National Migration Service has returned irregular migrants in air operations to Colombia, Ecuador and India.

So far this year, some 241,000 people have crossed the Darien jungle on the border with Colombia, on their way to the United States, 67 percent of them Venezuelan citizens who are given facilities to continue the journey through Central America, after the breakdown of bilateral relations, said Mulino.

He also specified that in recent months there has been an increase in the entry of people from China and Nepal.

According to official statistics, the number of Chinese migrants who crossed the jungle rose from 296 in the period 2010-2019 to more than 12,000 so far this year.

Likewise, more than 1,300 Nepalese people passed through Panama, while from 2010 to 2023 there were 12,783.

The Panamanian government foresees a considerable reduction of migrants in the jungle this year, compared to 2023, due to the closure of some trails and repatriation flights.

Ied/mhg