Panama inaugurates a new station for temporary reception of migrants

(CNN Spanish) — The government of Panama inaugurated this Friday a complex for the temporary reception of migrants who enter through the border with Colombia, and who are destined for the United States.

The modular structure, in the community of San Vicente, district of Pinogana, in the province of Darién, has 544 beds and facilities such as drinking water, electricity, sanitary bathrooms, dining rooms, a clinic, and a kitchen, among others. It had a cost of US$ 2.2 million, according to what the director of the National Migration Service of Panama, Samira Gozaine, told CNN.

The new center, it was explained, is made in compliance with international agreements and to give the best attention to migrants, so that, during their temporary passage, migrants can have a humane and dignified stay.

Figures from Migration of Panama indicate that this year, 223,000 migrants entered the country, mostly through the Darién jungle, on the border with Colombia. Last October, an unprecedented entry of almost 60,000 migrants was registered in that month.

However, the same figures from Panama Migration show that in November the number of migrants dropped to almost 12,000 entries.

Last Thursday, among the 723 migrants who entered Panama through Darién, 382 were Ecuadorians, 157 Haitians and only 37 Venezuelans.