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In a complex and sensitive situation, Panama is currently housing nearly 300 individuals from various countries, including Iran, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China, who were deported from the United States under President Donald Trump. These migrants are being held in a hotel, where they are receiving medical attention and food as part of a migration agreement between Panama and the US, per Panama's Security Minister Frank Abrego. However, they are not allowed to leave the hotel while international authorities arrange for their return to their countries of origin.
A significant challenge arises as more than 40% of these migrants are unwilling to return to their homelands voluntarily. Some have even resorted to displaying desperate messages on their hotel room windows, pleading for "help" and stating "We are not save (sic) in our country".
The US has been using Panama as a transit country for deportees due to difficulties in deporting individuals directly to certain countries. Costa Rica is also expected to receive a similar flight of third-country deportees on Wednesday.
Abrego also clarified that 171 of the 299 deportees have agreed to return to their respective countries with assistance from the International Organisation for Migration and the UN Refugee Agency. However, the remaining 128 migrants are still being processed, and efforts are being made to find alternative destinations for them in third countries. One deported Irish citizen has already returned to her country, while those who refuse to return to their countries of origin will be temporarily held in a facility in the remote Darien province.
The Panamanian government has agreed to serve as a "bridge" for deportees, with the US covering all costs of the operation. This agreement was announced earlier this month, following a visit from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino has faced political pressure over Trump's threats to retake control of the Panama Canal, adding to the complexity of the situation.
The Panamanian Ombudsman's Office is expected to provide further updates on the deportees' situation, shedding more light on the challenges and potential solutions.