Central American nation Panama is currently detaining nearly 300 migrants in a hotel in Panama City, following a deal with the United States. These migrants, from ten mostly Asian countries including India, Iran, NepalSri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistanand China, were deported by the US but are unable to return directly to their home countries due to various logistical and diplomatic challenges.
Sources confirmed to FinancialExpress.com “There are around 30 Indians among those who are detained inside the hotel in Panama.”
In a previous weekly briefing, official spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Randhir Jaiswal had said that India is firmly opposed to illegal migration, especially as it is linked to other forms of organized crime. “The Government of India would need to do the required verification, including nationality of the concerned individuals before they are deported to India,” he added.
The migrants including women and children, who are awaiting arrangements to either return home or be relocated to third countries, are confined to their rooms in the Decapolis Hotel Panama, Panama City. According to reports in the public domain Panama authorities have placed guards around the hotel, and while the migrants are being provided with food and medical care, they cannot leave the premises.
Panama’s president, José Raúl Mulino has said that the deportees will be sent to a camp based at the edge of a jungle called the Darién Gap. This camp was built some years ago to house migrants who were headed to north of the US.
Under the terms of a migration agreement signed earlier this month between Panama and the US, Panama is serving as a transit country for deportees, with the US covering all related costs. The agreement came after discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this month.
Panama’s Security Minister, Frank Abrego, clarified that the migrants are being temporarily housed and not ‘detained’ in a traditional sense, as authorities work to finalize their return arrangements. He has reportedly said that 171 of the 299 deportees have agreed to voluntarily return to their countries of origin, with the help of the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations Refugee Agency. Efforts are underway to find destinations for the remaining 128 individuals. The number of Indians detained is not clear.
For those who refuse voluntary repatriation, Panama plans to relocate them to a facility in the remote Darien province. Costa Rica is also expected to receive a similar group of deported individuals shortly.
The Panamanian Ombudsman’s Office is scheduled to provide further details on the situation, including any legal challenges faced by the deportees.
What about deportees from countries like Iran, China and Afghanistan?
Due to various problems the US has not been able to send the illegal migrants back to countries like China, Iran and Afghanistan, as these countries refuse to accept them back. Therefore, the US has decided to send deportees of these countries to other countries including Central American nations. Panama is under pressure to pacify US president Donald Trump who has threatened to take over the Panama Canal.
While the UN is providing Panama with humanitarian and technical support, the deportees were being managed by the local authorities and the process being followed was not clear.