PANAMA CITY — Panama is currently housing close to 300 individuals from various nations in a hotel as a result of deportations under the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump. These individuals are not permitted to leave the facility while awaiting arrangements from international organizations to facilitate their return to their home countries.
According to local officials, over 40% of these migrants have indicated that they do not wish to voluntarily go back to their countries. Many of them have resorted to displaying messages such as “Help” and “We are not safe” from their hotel windows, expressing their distress and desire for assistance.
The group of migrants includes individuals from around ten primarily Asian nations, such as Iran, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China. The U.S. has encountered challenges in deporting individuals directly to some of these countries, prompting the use of Panama as a transit location. Nearby Costa Rica is also expected to receive a comparable flight of deportees soon.
Panama’s Security Minister, Frank Abrego, stated on Tuesday that the migrants are receiving essential services such as medical care and food as part of a migration agreement established between Panama and the United States. The arrangement mandates that Panama acts as a transit nation for the deportees, while the U.S. covers all expenses incurred during this process. This agreement was finalized earlier this month following the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino faces mounting political pressure stemming from Trump’s threats regarding the Panama Canal, leading to the announcement of the initial deportation flights beginning last Thursday. The ongoing detention and uncertain legal status of these deportees have raised concerns within the country, particularly as images circulate showing migrants looking out from the windows of their high-rise hotel rooms adorned with calls for aid.
Minister Abrego insisted that these individuals are not being held against their will, despite being confined to their hotel rooms under police supervision. He noted that as many as 171 out of the 299 deportees have consented to voluntarily return to their home nations with assistance from the International Organization for Migration and the U.N. Refugee Agency. Discussions are ongoing with the remaining 128 individuals regarding suitable third-country alternatives for their relocation. As a point of reference, one deported Irish national has successfully returned to her homeland.
Those who decline to return will likely be temporarily accommodated in a facility located in the remote Darien province, a region that has seen numerous migrants traverse on their way northward in recent years. The Panamanian Ombudsman’s Office is set to offer additional insights into the status of the deportees later on Tuesday, as the situation continues to develop.
