Politics

Change slated for immigration

The government is preparing to create a branch of law enforcement that would specifically enforce immigration laws.

According to a draft of the new immigration law, the current Dirección Nacional de Migración y Naturalización would be changed to an autonomous agency known as the Servicio Nacional de de Migración.

This agency would have two main branches, the Dirección de Servicios Migratorios, which would handle the processing of immigration documents and visa requests, and the Dirección de Seguridad Migratoria. Agents in this branch would have powers similar to police, including the right to conduct immigration sweeps in hotels and other places frequented by visitors.

The ability to make changes to the immigration department was one of the special powers that the Asamblea Nacional granted to President Martín Torrijos late last year.

According to officials within the government, the change is being made so that the country's immigration policies can be enforced in an organized manner.