Panama City: Panama has detained nearly 300 deported individuals from various countries in a hotel, while international authorities work to arrange their return to their home countries. These deportees, some from India and other countries in Asia, were sent back under US President Donald Trump's immigration policies.
More than 40 percent of the migrants, who have been held in Panama, have refused to voluntarily return to their homeland. The detained migrants have written desperate messages on the windows of their hotel rooms, reading, "Help" and "We are not safe in our country."
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The individuals come from ten mainly Asian countries, including Iran, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China. Due to difficulties in deporting them directly to some of these countries, Panama has become a temporary stopover for the deportees. Costa Rica is also expected to receive a similar group of deportees this week.
Panama’s Security Minister Frank Abrego confirmed on Tuesday that the migrants are being provided with medical care and food, as part of a migration agreement between Panama and the US. Under the agreement, Panama has agreed to act as a "bridge" or transit country, while the US covers all costs related to the deportation process.
The deportees’ confinement in the hotel and their uncertain legal status has raised concerns within Panama. The images of migrants peering out of hotel windows, displaying messages of distress, have drawn attention to their plight. However, Abrego insisted that the migrants are not being detained, although they are not allowed to leave their rooms, which are being guarded by police.
Efforts to facilitate voluntary return
Of the 299 deportees, 171 have agreed to return to their home countries voluntarily, with assistance from the International Organization for Migration and the UN Refugee Agency. Talks are ongoing with the remaining 128 individuals to explore other options, including resettlement in third countries. One deported Irish citizen has already returned to her country.
For those who refuse to return to their home countries, Abrego stated that they will be temporarily relocated to a facility in Panama’s Darien province, a region through which many migrants have passed on their journey north in recent years.
The Panamanian Ombudsman's Office is expected to provide further details about the deportees’ situation later on Tuesday.
Agency
Published: 19 Feb 2025, 08:15 am IST
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