Over 300 migrants deported from the United States remain confined in a Panama City hotel under a controversial U.S.-Panama migration agreement, with 41% refusing voluntary repatriation. Disturbing images show detainees displaying handwritten notes like
“We are not save (sic) in our country”while Panamanian police guard the facility.
The group – primarily from Asian and Middle Eastern nations – includes citizens from:
- Iran
- India
- Afghanistan
- Pakistan
- China
- Sri Lanka
- Nepal
Panama’s Security Minister Frank Abrego confirmed the arrangement allows U.S. authorities to circumvent direct deportations to resistant countries, with America covering all operational costs. “They’re not detained,” Abrego insisted, despite migrants being barred from leaving hotel premises.
Political tensions surrounding the Panama Canal complicate the situation. President José Raúl Mulino faces domestic criticism amid former President Trump’s threats to “retake control” of the crucial waterway. The deportation program began days after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit earlier this month.
UN agencies report 171 deportees accepted voluntary repatriation, while 128 resist return to their homelands. Those refusing face transfer to Darien Province’s remote detention center – a region infamous for dangerous migrant trails to North America. An Irish national has already been successfully repatriated through the program.
Human rights organizations demand transparency as Panama’s Ombudsman Office prepares an official review. The standoff highlights growing global challenges in managing third-country deportations and raises urgent questions about migrant protections in transit nations.
