{"id":512257,"date":"2026-06-24T16:29:54","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T20:29:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.net\/en\/uncategorized\/almost-5000-migrants-return-from-north-america-to-south-america-through-panama\/"},"modified":"2026-06-24T16:29:54","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T20:29:54","slug":"almost-5000-migrants-return-from-north-america-to-south-america-through-panama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/international\/almost-5000-migrants-return-from-north-america-to-south-america-through-panama\/","title":{"rendered":"“Almost 5,000 migrants return from North America to South America through Panama”"},"content":{"rendered":"“n

The\u00a0reverse migratory flow<\/strong>\u00a0passing through Panama<\/strong>\u00a0continues to grow, although it maintains<\/a> a monthly deceleration trend.<\/a><\/p>n”\n\n“n

As of June 21, 2026, authorities had recorded 4,912 migrants<\/strong> within the so-called north-south flow, that is, people returning from North America to South America after abandoning their plans to settle<\/strong> in the United States or after being affected by the tightening of migration policies<\/strong> in the region.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

The figure represents an increase of 588 people in just 35 days <\/strong>compared to the previous report released by the National Migration Service<\/strong> on May 17, when the cumulative total was 4,324 migrants. In percentage terms, the reverse flow grew<\/strong> 13.6% during that period.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

<\/a>Despite the cumulative increase, the data shows that the intensity of the phenomenon continues to decrease<\/strong> month by month. In January, 1,250 migrants were recorded returning south; in February there were 1,086<\/strong>; in March 916; in April 674; in May<\/strong> 537; and in the first 21 days of June, 449 were counted. If this trend continues, June would close again below the<\/strong> levels observed at the beginning of the year.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

We recommend reading:Man sentenced to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of human trafficking in the form of sexual slavery<\/a><\/strong><\/p>n”\n\n“n

Panama continues to be a key point within the continent’s migratory routes, both for those moving forward and those returning. Illustrative image Infobae<\/p>n”\n\n“n

Statistics from the Directorate of Operations and Migration Control confirm that return migration remains predominantly<\/strong> Venezuelan. Of the total of 4,912 people registered in the north-south flow, 4,481 are citizens of Venezuela,<\/strong> equivalent to more than 91% of the total.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

<\/a>They are followed by citizens of Colombia with 181 cases, Ecuador with 58, people born in the United States<\/strong> with 53 records \u2014mainly children of migrants\u2014 and 139 people<\/strong> of other nationalities.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

Compared to the mid-May report, Venezuelans increased from 3,991 to<\/strong> 4,481 people, that is, 490 additional migrants in little more than a month. Colombians went from 149 to<\/strong> 181, while Ecuadorians increased from 39 to 58 cases.<\/strong><\/p>n”\n\n“n

The logistics to address this phenomenon continue to be concentrated on the eastern border of the country. As of June 21<\/strong>, 30 migrants from the reverse flow remained at the Migratory Reception Temporary Station (ETRM)<\/strong> in Dari\u00e9n and another 17 in Puerto Obald\u00eda,<\/strong> in the Guna Yala region. No people were reported housed at the center in<\/strong> Miramar.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

Humanitarian and transport operations remain one of the most important components of the government’s strategy<\/strong> to manage the return to South America. Irregular transit through the Darien Gap remains well below the levels recorded during the 2023 migration crisis. Moncho Torres<\/p>n”\n\n“n

The report reveals that 445 air evacuations have been carried out to Puerto Obald\u00eda, in addition to 786 maritime transfers on barges<\/strong> operated with the support of the National Aeronaval Service. There are also 11 SENAN flights recorded<\/strong>, seven barge operations and one private flight linked to<\/strong> these movements.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

The weekly evolution of the flow shows significant variations. Between May 14 and 20, 97 people were registered; from May 21 to 27,<\/strong> there were 38; between May 28 and June 3, they increased to 193; from June 4 to<\/strong> 10, they decreased to 70; and between June 11 and 17, they rose again to 186<\/strong> migrants.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

While the return flow continues to accumulate thousands of people, the traditional irregular transit through the Darien jungle<\/strong> remains at historically low levels. The report records just 255 irregular entries during 2026, of which 219 correspond to adults and 36 to minors<\/strong>. Only one arrival was recorded during the day immediately preceding<\/strong> the report.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

The monthly distribution of these crossings also reflects reduced activity. In January, 34 irregular migrants entered; in February<\/strong> 19; in March 39; in April 43; in May 43; and in June, up to the 21st, 77 people were counted.<\/strong><\/p>n”\n\n“n

Venezuelans<\/strong> continue to lead entries through the Darien with 131 cases, followed by Ecuadorians<\/strong> with 38 and Colombians with 42. Authorities group another 44 people within the category of other<\/strong> nationalities.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

Puerto Obald\u00eda has become one of the main transit points for those continuing their return to Colombia by sea.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

The report also includes data on deportations and expulsions. As of June 21, Panama had executed 3,461 immigration measures<\/strong> of this type, of which 2,759 correspond to deportations and 702 to expulsions. Of the total, 2,960 were carried out through the<\/strong> cooperation agreement with the United States.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

Within that joint program, 2,546 correspond to men and 414 to women. The main countries of origin are Colombia<\/strong> with 1,773 people, Ecuador with 460, and India with 236. There are also 57 citizens from Vietnam registered, 39 from Cameroon, and 395<\/strong> people of other nationalities.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

You can also read: Navy first lieutenant found lifeless near Tavera dam identified<\/a><\/strong><\/p>n”\n\n“n

Statistics also show the operational dimension of the program. 71 charter flights and 224<\/strong> commercial flights associated with the migration memorandum of understanding have been carried out. In addition, the official schedule includes<\/strong> new flights to Venezuela and Finland between the end of<\/strong> June and mid-July.<\/p>n”\n\n“n

Although the irregular migratory flow to the north remains well below the historical levels<\/strong> observed during the 2022 and 2023 migration crisis, the sustained growth of the reverse flow confirms<\/strong> that Panama continues to play a central role in the new regional migration dynamic: no longer just as a transit corridor to North America, but also as a return route for<\/strong> thousands of people who are embarking on the journey back to South America.<\/strong><\/p>n”","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“n The\u00a0reverse migratory flow\u00a0passing through Panama\u00a0continues to grow, although it maintains a monthly deceleration trend. n” “n As of June 21, 2026, authorities had recorded 4,912 migrants within the so-called north-south flow, that is, people returning from North America to South America after abandoning their plans to settle in the United States or after being […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133556,"featured_media":512258,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[95],"tags":[40616,14665],"class_list":["post-512257","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-international","tag-migrants","tag-panama"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/phj1q1-29gd","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/SV4VH665LRHK5J6CQK4SEVMWXA.avif","dum_api":{"author_name":"Yerandi Santana","author_image":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/cropped-WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-13-at-5.35.07-PM-96x96.jpeg","categories_name":["International"],"featured_media_url":"https:\/\/cdn.deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/SV4VH665LRHK5J6CQK4SEVMWXA.avif"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/512257","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/133556"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=512257"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/512257\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/512258"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=512257"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=512257"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=512257"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}