Panama City, December 16, 2022 - The International Organization for Migration (IOM), together with government authorities, held a conversation with multiple international news agencies and local media on migration trends in Panama and the world, as well as the progress the country has had, the challenges it has faced, and the opportunities to continue strengthening the governance of safe, orderly and dignified migration in the future.

Following a presentation on statistical data, trends, and the context of migration in Panama and the world by Gerardo Carballo, IOM Panama’s Knowledge Management and Information Assistant, an interactive conversation took place with Giuseppe Loprete, Head of the Panama (Global) Administrative Centre and Chief of Mission; María Isabel Saravia, Deputy Director General of the National Migration Service; Dayra Campos, Secretary General of the National Commission against Trafficking in Persons, and Jonathan Santana, Director of International Relations of the Ombudsperson's Office.

Recently, within the framework of the Global Compact for Migration, IOM published the Report on Migration trends in the Americas. This report, along with the several studies published by the Organization, aims to help expand the evidence base for decision-making on migration. The report is based on regularly available public sources and seeks to address the information needs of governments, donors, UN agencies, academia, the media and civil society.

In addition to the figures reflected in the Report on Migration trends in the Americas, these are some of the main migration statistics for the year 2022:

• According to IOM's World Migration Report 2022, there are 281 million international migrants in the world. The number of international migrants in Latin America and the Caribbean has doubled, from 7.14 million in 1990 to 14.8 million in 2010.
• 22,987 migrants have transited through the Darién jungle between January and November 2022, representing an increase of 75.5% compared to the flow of migrants in transit for the whole year 2021.
• 88.7% of migrants in transit through the Darién jungle between January and November 2022 are of Venezuelan, Ecuadorian, Colombian, Cuban and Haitian nationality. Up to 70 different nationalities of the migrant population have been registered in transit through this border point.
• According to the latest data available from the National Migration Service in 2020, in Panama there are 419,146 migrants who have regularized or are in the process of regularization.
• The lack of assistance in documentation (18%), followed by the need for employment and generation of resources (17%) are the three basic needs most mentioned by migrants residing in Panama participating in the Survey Report of the provinces of Panamá and Panamá Oeste prepared by IOM in 2021.
• According to the National Migration Service and based on the Migration Profile of Panama 2019-2020, it is estimated that about 10.45% of the Panamanian population corresponds to regularized migrants.

"IOM recognizes the media as strategic allies to spread the message that migrants, like all human beings, have rights and that well-managed migration can be highly beneficial for cultural diversity, social development and economic growth in Panama and the world," explained IOM's Chief of Mission in Panama.

"It is important that the news shows what is happening in our countries, so that all people have access to this information and can educate themselves about migration issues. We have to make an effort to tell the life stories of migrants, to tell the truth and make them visible as more than statistics. IOM, the institutions present and journalists have an important role to play there," he added.

In 2000, because of the increase in migratory flows in the world, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed December 18 as International Migrants Day, in order to promote the exchange of experiences and opportunities for collaboration by countries and regions, in the face of the difficulties of international migration.

"We are proud to be migrants," said António Vitorino, Director-General of the International Organization for Migration, in his message to commemorate this date.

Events like this reaffirm IOM's commitment to accompany States to leave no one behind!

For more information, please contact IOM's communications team in Panama via iompanama@iom.int