Panama and Colombia need to review their migration pact

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Exactly two months ago, the foreign ministers of Colombia and Panama met to address the migration crisis on the border shared by both countries. This meeting resulted in a pact whose conditions are now highly questioned not only by Panamanian and Colombian authorities but have even caused the concern of the European Union (EU).

“The agreement between the two countries to limit entry to 500 people per day to Panama, even though more than 1,000 arrive (as of September), causes even more bottlenecks on the Colombian side, generating support needs for the host community,” the EU delegation in Colombia told El Espectador.

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As the EU points out, the mobility limit set at 500 people per day has proved inconvenient for Colombia, particularly for the Antioquian municipality of Necocli, where between 15,000 and 20,000 people are being held back.

This week, the Colombian Ombudsman, Carlos Camargo, requested a relaxation of the number of migrants who can cross the Darien Gap, warning that the bottleneck has “exacerbated the problems of care for the population in terms of health and public services”.

“We need a shock plan that considers additional measures, such as the creation of a humanitarian bridge that facilitates the transit of children, adolescents, pregnant women, and nursing mothers without them having to expose their lives and integrity when facing the dangers of the passage through the jungle of the Darien Gap,” said Camargo.

According to reports, the San Sebastián Hospital in Necoclí has already collapsed, receiving between 50 and 60 migrants a day seeking medical attention, and supplies and personnel are overstretched. Authorities have confirmed the death of at least two migrants since September 25, one injured after a fight and the other from respiratory problems.

On the other hand, Panamanian authorities are also not satisfied with the agreement and have accused Colombia of not complying with the pact. Samira Gozaine, director of Panama’s National Migration Service (SNM), said from Bajo Chiquito. At this first Panamanian point, migrants arrive, that 6,500 more people came in her country than should have if “the agreement with Colombia had been complied with”.

For all these reasons, a re-evaluation of the pact between the two countries is urgently needed, as it is feared that the crisis on the Colombian side will spill over and have results both for the population of foreigners on the move, as well as for the local inhabitants.

In addition to the collapse of the health system in Necoclí, which has arisen due to the bottleneck, robberies, assaults, sexual violence, and gender-based violence have been reported, particularly affecting women and children.

On the other hand, there is no exact figure of how many people die crossing the jungle. However, in June of this year, at least 12 migrants died, according to the Panamanian Ministry of Security data.

In addition, human trafficking, sexual abuse, and robbery are prevalent in the area, leaving physical and psychological scars on migrants who manage to reach Panama. Doctors Without Borders have warned: the migrants are fleeing from the violence in their countries of origin, and at the border, they continue to encounter it, including torture.

But the re-evaluation of the agreement does not only require Panama and Colombia to sit down again at the dialogue table, but the success in facing this crisis depends on other protagonists. On the one hand, Brazil and Ecuador are the first countries to be reached by Asian and African migrants attempting to cross the Darien, but they also become the destination of those who decide to turn back when they cannot cross the border.

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