Panama Deports Ecuadorean Migrants in U.S.-Funded Flight

Panamanian authorities have deported a group of Ecuadorean migrants on a flight funded by the United States. This action is part of a bilateral effort to curb irregular crossings through the perilous Darien Gap. The initiative follows previous deportations and plans upcoming returns for Indian and Chinese migrants.

Panama has deported a group of Ecuadorean migrants on a U.S.-funded flight, as part of a joint agreement to reduce irregular migration to the United States. This latest effort aims to discourage the perilous journey through the Darien Gap.

The deportation flight, carrying 30 Ecuadoreans, departed on Thursday evening to Manta, Ecuador. Panama's migration service highlighted that these migrants had evaded a checkpoint on the infamous route through the Darien jungle, a dangerous passage on the border between Panama and Colombia.

This action follows a similar flight in mid-August, which returned 30 migrants to Colombia. Panama's President Jose Mulino has also announced future deportation flights for Indian and Chinese migrants, set for September and an unspecified date, respectively.

(With inputs from agencies.)