Adopted Stricter Control of Immigrants: Panama

The entry to Panama of foreigners from countries with restricted visas must be approved by the National Council of Security, Public Security Minister Jose Raul Mulino said. He added that this new norm will be applied across the country and offices of the consulates of Panama all over the world have been instructed that the measures take immediate effect.

“The measure is being announced yesterday by Migration Director of Panama and at all the consulates in the world,” he said, adding that although the new measure has not been approved as law yet it was already being enforced.

He said the decision is under the administration of the Security Council rather than the National Migration Service which up until yesterday had handled such issues. Mulino said that citizens from such countries will have to submit a request to the Migration Service but that request will then be transferred to the Security Council. Mulino added that his office is working on the executive decree, which will be presented to Panama’s President Ricardo Martinelli to be ratified and published.