HIAS Panama provides educational courses to displaced children at the Lajas Blancas migration reception post on October 22, 2024. (Nadege Mazars for HIAS)

Panama

HIAS Panama provides educational courses to displaced children at the Lajas Blancas migration reception post on October 22, 2024. (Nadege Mazars for HIAS)

Founded

2010

Contact

+507 391 5171

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Panama is both a transit and host country for refugees, displaced people, and migrants in Latin America. While migration policies have changed across the Americas, hundreds of thousands of displaced people still need humanitarian assistance as they move across the country, particularly in the border areas of Darien and Chiriquí.

In 2025, Panama hosted more than 155,000 displaced people, including over 5,000 refugees and 36,500 asylum seekers. More than half of those in need of protection come from Venezuela, while thousands of others originate from countries across Central America.

HIAS has supported refugees and displaced people in Panama since 2010. HIAS Panama provides displaced people with protection services and mental health care, as well as works to end violence against women and girls.

Our Work

HIAS Panama helps refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants access dignified and sustainable livelihoods, improving their self-reliance. We collaborate with local communities and NGOs to foster the integration of refugees, creating safe spaces where refugees and members of the host community collaborate on community projects and address shared challenges.

Protect Displaced People
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Impact

As thousands of people seeking safety have been forced into a ‘reverse migration’ due to shifting U.S. immigration policies, HIAS is providing assistance in Panama.

As thousands of people seeking safety have been forced into a ‘reverse migration’ due to shifting U.S. immigration policies, HIAS is providing assistance in Panama.

Reverse Migration’s Impact on Solo Men

For thousands who fled violence, persecution, and instability, crossing through one of the world’s most treacherous migration routes — the Darien Gap — was supposed to be a journey towards safety. Now, many face an even more dangerous fate — retracing their steps back.

Between February and August of 2025, more than 14,000 people with dreams of reaching safety in the United States have been forced to turn around, this time traveling south. This pattern of reverse migration is a direct result of shifting U.S. immigration policies, the closure of the U.S.-Mexico border to asylum seekers, and increasingly limited pathways to asylum. This reversal is not voluntary — it is being driven by increasingly restrictive U.S. policies that have made seeking asylum or other forms of legal entry nearly impossible.

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HIAS’ services are free. If someone tries to charge you for services claiming they represent HIAS, please report it at our confidential email address: ethics@hias.org. HIAS has a zero-tolerance policy on fraud and corruption. 

For any other inquiries please email us at info@hias.org.