BRIEFS. government

Immigration deports holders of fake documents

The Dirección Nacional de Migración y Naturalización has launched an investigation into the issuing of false passports, visas and other forms of identification.

Immigration assistant director Tayra Barsallo said that the investigation has not revealed any wrongdoing by the country's foreign consulates.

"We have not detected any link between Panamanian authorities and individuals engaged in this crime," Barsallo said.

The agency has deported or denied entry to about 1,000 people for having fake visas or for trying to use a false passports. These include 405 Colombians, as well as citizens of Nicaragua, Peru, the Dominican Republic and China.

The government has been tightening its immigration protocals as well as cracking down on the issuing of passports. The new immigration policies will go into effect later this year.