A group of close to 100 migrants recently deported from the U.S. to Panama has been relocated from a hotel in the capital to the Darien jungle region in the southern part of the country, Panama's government announced on Wednesday.
According to a statement from Panama's security ministry, out of the 299 migrants deported from the U.S., 13 have been sent back to their home countries, and 175 are still staying at the hotel in Panama City, awaiting further travel arrangements after consenting to return home.
The migrants have been accommodated at the hotel under the care of local authorities, with financial backing from the United States via the International Organization for Migration and the UN refugee agency, as confirmed by the Panamanian government.
Among the migrants are individuals from Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. Panama's president, Jose Raul Mulino, has agreed with the U.S. to accept deportees who are not Panamanian.
This initiative is part of the Trump administration's efforts to increase deportations of undocumented migrants living in the U.S.
A particular challenge of this deportation plan is that some migrants are from nations that refuse to accept deportation flights from the U.S. due to strained diplomatic ties or other reasons. The agreement with Panama enables the U.S. to deport these nationals, placing the responsibility on Panama to organize their repatriation.
Human rights organizations have criticized the process, concerned about the possible mistreatment of migrants and their safety upon returning to countries affected by violence or conflict, like Afghanistan.
Susana Sabalza, a Panamanian migration attorney representing a family transferred to the San Vicente shelter in the Darien area, expressed her inability to meet her clients while they were at the hotel in Panama City and is endeavoring to obtain permission to visit them at their new location.
Although declining to disclose their nationality, Sabalza noted that they were a Muslim family who faced serious risks if they went back home.
The family is planning to seek asylum in Panama or any country willing to receive them, apart from their own nation.
As detailed in the security ministry's statement, 97 migrants have been moved to the shelter in the Darien region, known for its dense and lawless jungle that divides Central America from South America. The government plans to relocate an additional eight migrants there soon.
Reports indicated that the hotel in Panama City where the migrants were housed appeared quiet on Wednesday morning.
On Tuesday, some migrants were observed holding hands and looking out of the hotel window in an attempt to catch the attention of journalists outside. Media reports mentioned that the migrants were not permitted to leave the premises.
A Chinese national named Zheng Lijuan managed to escape from the hotel, as per Panama's migration service, but was apprehended in Costa Rica and subsequently returned to Panama.