Nationwide protests left migrants and refugees stranded in Panama

Thousands of people were left stranded in migrant reception stations and villages along Panama’s eastern border after nationwide protests caused road closures across the country. Access to food became challenging as the number of migrants and refugees at reception stations swelled far beyond maximum occupancy, with some exceeding capacity by more than 300%. The inability to continue on their journey also meant people were staying in reception stations far longer than usual, further straining local resources.

After more than a week, protests subsided and roads began reopening, allowing for the onward movement of migrants and refugees. While an estimated 500 people were able to board buses towards Costa Rica each day, many communities and shelters remained deeply impacted by the high number of people waiting to resume their journeys.

WCK’s Relief Team worked with Panama’s border and migration authorities to deliver 20,000 meal kits to people at various reception stations and in nearby communities, including at Canaán Membrillo—an indigenous village that acts as a main entry point into Panama. Meal kits included shelf-stable foods and personal hygiene products.

The journey from Colombia to Panama sees migrants and refugees hike for days across the Darién Gap—a stretch of jungle through which no major roads run. The dense vegetation and risk of assault make this stretch one of the most dangerous along the route towards North America. People making the journey hail from dozens of countries but the majority come from Venezuela from where they are fleeing extreme poverty, hunger, and political instability.

Protestors across Panama took to the streets in early July amidst rising inflation and closed major roads across the country, including the Pan-American highway—a major artery used by Panamanian authorities to facilitate the onward movement of migrants and refugees from the Province of Darién along the border with Colombia to the Province of Chiriqui from where they will cross into Costa Rica.