Expat Community > Panama

panamajames
Joined 2012
Posts: 5097

Illegals Entering Panama

3 years ago

Every country that is in reasonable good shape has the problem of illegal aliens wanting a better life in a new country and Panama is no different. Instead of a wall to protect our borders, we have the Darien Gap which was always provided a big barrier for illegals to pass through. However it is becoming much more commercialized as of late. As an example, last week in Capurganá Acandí, Choco, Colombia, not far from the Panama border, not much has changed over the years, other than the electricity is off, more than it is on, and sadly the Chocos who work in the hotel and restaurant/tourism businesses there, could care less. What has changed and grown exponentially is the illegal crossings of mainly Africans who arrive in Capurganá then are whisked into the jungle and they begin to cross into Panama by foot. You can watch this played out right in front of you each and every day if you wanted a holiday to somewhere off the beaten path like Capurganá. It's not for everyone. A boat arrives, from who knows where, and quickly within 8 to 10 minutes all 80 persons aboard, leave the boat and head down the small pier/dock, all single file. They walk right past the police and migration persons on duty who should be working and "protecting" the dock. They walk around the corner about 60 meters and are all quickly loaded up into waiting Tuk-Tuks and off they go to the jungle to start their 4/5 day trek by foot through the Darien Gap jungle into Panama and then further north, perhaps to Panama's Caribbean side. So each day there are about 4 boats that are packed with Africans including men, women, small children and even babies. Yes 300 give or take are making this trek each and every day. This is big business for the Narcos and the traffickers who profit so immensely from this, that they don't service the tourist industry in Capurganá (ie tuk-tuk, employees for hotels and restaurants, etc.) and who frankly could care less about anything other than protecting their profit center of human smuggling. The Colombian government, so I have been told, turns a blind eye to this, as they allow the migration to continue, to allow these mainly Africans to pass thru Colombia. Otherwise what does Colombia do with tens of thousands of illegal alien Africans? You send them to Panama, of course. You have to be careful taking photos of this as all eyes will be on you wondering if I could be a reporter or journalist as they don't want their illegal activities to be made known. I can't imagine what goes on during this 5 day jungle trek to the women and children. So in one week in Capurganá about 2,000 illegal immigrants pass through to Panama and, there will be another 2,000 next week and the next. Let me attach a photo, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capurgan%C3%A1

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Illegals Entering Panama

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