Chicago – February 20, 2025
Panama is currently housing almost 300 people from different countries, including Iran, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China, after they were deported from the United States under former President Donald Trump.
These migrants are staying in a hotel, where they are receiving food and medical care. However, according to Panama’s Security Minister Frank Abrego, they are not allowed to leave while officials work on sending them back to their home countries.
A major challenge is that more than 40% of the migrants do not want to return home. Some have even written messages on their hotel room windows, asking for “help” and saying they are “not safe” in their countries.
The U.S. is using Panama as a stopover for deportees because sending them directly to some countries is difficult. Costa Rica is also expected to receive a similar group of deported migrants soon.
So far, 171 of the 299 migrants have agreed to return home with help from the International Organization for Migration and the UN Refugee Agency. Those who refuse to return home will be temporarily sent to a facility in Panama’s remote Darien province.
