Panama is currently accommodating nearly 300 deportees from multiple countries, including India, Iran, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China, after their removal from the United States under President Donald Trump’s policies. These individuals are being housed in a hotel where they receive medical care and food as part of a migration agreement between the US and Panama, according to Panama’s Security Minister, Frank Abrego. However, they are confined to the hotel while international authorities coordinate their repatriation.
A major issue has emerged as over 40% of these deportees are unwilling to return to their home countries. Some have taken to expressing their desperation by displaying messages on their hotel room windows, with pleas such as “help” and “We are not save (sic) in our country.”
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Due to the challenges of direct deportation to certain nations, the US has been using Panama as a transit hub for deportees. Similarly, Costa Rica is expected to receive a comparable group of third-country deportees in the coming days.
Abrego further stated that 171 out of the 299 deportees have agreed to return to their countries with support from the International Organisation for Migration and the UN Refugee Agency. However, 128 individuals remain in limbo, as officials work on potential relocation options to third countries. One Irish deportee has already returned home, while those refusing repatriation will be temporarily held at a facility in the remote Darien province.
Panama’s government has agreed to act as an intermediary for these deportations, with the US fully funding the operation. This arrangement follows discussions earlier this month between Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Meanwhile, Mulino faces political pressure amid Trump’s remarks about regaining control over the Panama Canal, adding further complexity to the situation.
The Panamanian Ombudsman’s Office is expected to provide further details on the status of the deportees as authorities continue to explore viable solutions.
