Panama Follows Mexico in Clamping Down on Illegal Migrants
By Jason Peña on July 29, 2019
The National Migration Service (SNM) of Panama recently reported the country's latest deportation data. The Nicaraguan news website El Nuevo Diario reported, the removal of 531 Nicaraguan migrants from Panama for the first six months of 2019, nearly 25 percent of the total of 2,034 foreigners repatriated to their home countries during this time. Of the 531 migrants, 86 were formally deported by Panamanian immigration officials, 12 were prohibited from returning to country, and the remaining 433 migrants voluntarily returned to Nicaragua. The month of June represented the highest number of migrant removals of 2019, with 24 formal deportations of Nicaraguan citizens.
The SNM data indicates that while Nicaraguans comprise a large share of deportations and permanent bans from Panama, the country ranks third behind Cubans and Colombians. Panamanian immigration officials have generally utilized "voluntary return" as the primary method for immigration enforcement. Additionally, since 2017, Panama has adopted stricter immigration policies. Presidential Decree 269, mandates any foreign tourist on Panama's soil must depart after 90 days; the previous limit was 180 days.
https://cis.org/Pena/Panama-Follows-Mexico-Clamping-Down-Illegal-Migrants
