PANAMA RECEIVES REGIONAL SUPPORT TO PROMOTE OPERATIONAL WORK TO ASSIST IRREGULAR MIGRATION SAFELY

Panama today received the general support of the countries of the continent convened in the first high-level meeting on irregular migration, which concluded with the agreement of an upcoming operational meeting to provide urgent responses to this emerging phenomenon.

The next agreed appointment responds to the coincidences indicated by the participants, gathered virtually at the invitation of the Panamanian Foreign Ministry, who identified the need to share timely and approved information and cooperate in the comprehensive care required by migrants on their way north , which should be safe and orderly.

The genesis and correct diagnosis of this phenomenon, which registers a growing increase from extracontinental countries and throughout the American continent, will be a primary point of the proposed work agenda, which includes technical monitoring by diplomatic, immigration and of security.

This will be the first regional framework to understand and address this still poorly understood migration and strengthen the commitments that will provide continuity to instruments that allow the gradual eradication of dangerous migratory routes.

The multilateral meeting has also proposed for the first time to analyze the complexity of irregular migration in the continent, provide answers to the changing and pressing situations in shared borders and propose definitive solutions that allow the transfer of information and safe and controlled migratory flows.

"Thanks to our efforts, today, the world is turning its gaze towards the irregular migration of the 'Southern Triangle', a problem that is not only Panamanian, but of the entire region and that stands out among the group of massive movements of people," he added. the host and Foreign Minister of Panama, Erika Mouynes, during the meeting, which she described as an “unprecedented historical milestone”.

As a reference, the Panamanian minister pointed out that only in January 2021 around a thousand irregular migrants arrived in Panama, while, last July, the number rose to almost 20,000.

“For Panama this is a worrying situation that requires sustainable solutions over time, with the participation of all the countries that are part of this route, whether of origin, transit or destination. We need the support of the international community ”, he indicated.