Panama to begin US-funded migrant repatriation flights on Tuesday

PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - The first U.S.-funded flight repatriating migrants who crossed into Panama irregularly is scheduled for Tuesday, the Panamanian president's office said on Monday.

The flights, which will carry both deported and voluntarily repatriated migrants, are part of an accord signed with the U.S. government last month.

The advisory sent by the government did not detail where the first flight was headed.

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino took office in early July promising to crack down on migration through the dangerous Darien Gap connecting Panama and Colombia.

The jungle region saw a record number of migrants cross last year, more than half a million, with the majority headed for the United States.

(Reporting by Elida Moreno; Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by Brendan O'Boyle)

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