Immigration crisis reveals flaws in Paso Canoas

 The immigration crisis caused by arrival of Cubans to Paso Canoas exposed the deficiencies of the Government entities to confront these problems that occur in this sector of the border with Costa Rica, the Panamanian Red Cross Executives say. Víctor Hold, marketing project coordinator of the Panamanian Red Cross of the Baru Committee says that the current immigration crisis of the Cuban people has shown that government institutions are not prepared to deal with these problems the way as they have happened on this occasion with the islanders. "There is a permanent problem in Paso Canoas, because it is not only Cubans on this occasion, but all the transcontinental people that spend the night in Paso Canoas, such as Africans," he says.He says that since Panama has become a transit country, more attention should be paid as to the many undocumented migrants, who come occasionally sick and have nowhere to stay and are stay anywhere overnight. This violates all the principles of humanity of migrants. He added that shelters are needed urgently to accommodate these people who are in transit, as they manage to go on though their journey. He adds that there is room in the facilities of the Red Cross, in Baru, to build a hostel where 100 people may be placed and to guarantee humanitarian conditions. The representative of Caritas, in Chiriqui, Siegdel Candanedo, ensures the situation that exists with the more than 2,000 Cubans should be for the authorities to establish a hostel that has the required conditions and spaces for health care on a permanent basis. Candanedo said that this time they have had to relocate the Cubans in hotels, which represents a high cost for the State and cause overcrowding problem. The representative of Caritas ensures that because Paso Canoas area is a transit zone of foreigners the relocation of these people to a physical space must be considered and such projects must be developed. In addition to this problem, the Ministry of Health does not have a health station to serve foreigners who pass through this sector. The director of health of Chiriqui, Agustín Saldaña, admitted that the institution does not have a health post at the border and pointed out that they are asking the municipality of Baru for a piece of land in Paso Canoas to build one and thus be able to locate in this place. He says that a health post at the border is urgently necessary since there is a health center in Paso Canoa sector but it is very far and tourists do not go all the way to that place.Doctor Saldaña ensures that there are health binational agreements with Costa Rica to reinforce surveillance in Paso Canoas and address cases in a jointly fashion.