PANAMA CITY — The first flight carrying deportees from the United States has landed in Panama, marking a significant step as the U.S. government utilizes Panama as a transit point for migrants being expelled from the country. This announcement was made by President José Raúl Mulino during a press conference on Thursday.

“A flight from the United States Air Force arrived yesterday with 119 individuals hailing from various countries,” President Mulino reported. He detailed that among the deportees were nationals from China, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

The President noted that this flight is the inaugural one of three that are scheduled, anticipated to bring a total of approximately 360 individuals to Panama. He characterized the number of deportees as relatively small, stating, “It’s not something massive.”

Upon arrival, the migrants are expected to be taken to a shelter located in Panama’s Darien region before being facilitated back to their home countries, as explained by Mulino.

Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Mulino during his visit to Panama. Although discussions regarding U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for the reevaluation of the Panama Canal dominated their meetings, Mulino also highlighted Panama’s commitment to managing the flow of migrants passing through the challenging Darien Gap. He further proposed that Panama could function as a conduit for the repatriation of U.S. deportees.

Notably, migration through the Darien Gap, which links Panama and Colombia, has significantly decreased, with reports indicating a drop of approximately 90% in January compared to the same month in the previous year. This reduction reflects ongoing efforts to manage and control migration in the region.