A deportation flight departing from the United States on Thursday with 135 mainly Asian undocumented migrants is slated to arrive in Costa Rica later in the day. Nearly half of the migrants are children. Traveling from San Diego to San Jose, the migrants originate from countries such as China, Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan. Among the deportees are 65 minors and at least two pregnant women, as shared by Omer Badilla, Costa Rica’s deputy minister of the interior and police, in an interview with Noticias Telemundo on Wednesday. Some of the migrants’ home nations have been reluctant to facilitate their repatriation, leading to Costa Rica acting as an intermediary, as per the U.S. government’s statement.
This deportation flight is one of many headed towards Central America, with approximately 300 individuals, mostly from Asian countries, currently detained at a hotel in Panama. Badilla stated that Costa Rica agreed to accept the migrants out of a commitment to human rights and a sense of duty, with no special conditions attached to the agreement with the Trump administration. President Rodrigo Chaves emphasized the country’s support for its “economically powerful brother from the north” and expressed optimism that the reciprocal assistance would continue.
Upon their arrival, the migrants will be transported by bus to Corredores, a town on the Panama border, where they will stay at a Temporary Migrant Care Center. This flight marks Costa Rica’s first involvement as a layover point for deportees. The United States is covering the cost of the flights, including those that will later return the migrants to their home countries. The International Organization for Migration will provide humanitarian aid and support throughout the process.
The deportees will undergo a thorough evaluation of their circumstances to ensure their safety upon return to their countries of origin. Some may have the option to seek refugee status in Costa Rica. The process of repatriation normally allows up to 30 days, but extensions may be granted to safeguard the deportees’ human rights. Meanwhile, the group deported to Panama is currently restricted within a hotel, awaiting arrangements for their return home.
The U.S. government’s arrangement with Costa Rica and the handling of the deported individuals have drawn attention, although no immediate response was provided by the White House to NBC News’ inquiry.
“We will remain here and are under our temporary custody for their protection, however the International Organization for Migration and UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) are accountable for repatriation to their countries,” stated Frank Abrego, Panama’s minister of public security during a press conference held on Tuesday. Officials have reported that over 40% of the deportees currently accommodated at the hotel have expressed their unwillingness to return to their home countries voluntarily, with many resorting to writing messages on their hotel windows appealing for assistance. Those individuals who are reluctant to go back to their countries of origin will be transferred to a facility located in the Darien province as mentioned by Abrego, a common point of crossing for numerous migrants embarking on the perilous journey towards the United States.
