Thu Feb 20 07:15:52 UTC 2025: ## Hundreds of Deportees Stranded in Panama After US Deportation

**Panama City, Panama** – Nearly 300 migrants, deported from the United States under a controversial agreement with Panama, are currently being held in a Panamanian hotel, sparking concerns over their welfare and future. The individuals, hailing from countries including Iran, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China, were deported as part of a Trump-era policy that utilized Panama as a transit point for individuals deemed ineligible for entry into the US.

While Panama’s Security Minister Frank Abrego assures that the deportees are receiving food and medical care, the situation is far from resolved. Over 40% – approximately 128 individuals – are refusing repatriation to their home countries, citing safety concerns and displaying desperate pleas for help from their hotel windows. Some messages read, “We are not save (sic) in our country.”

Of the 299 deportees, 171 have agreed to return to their home countries with assistance from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UNHCR. However, the Panamanian government is working to find alternative destinations for those unwilling to return, facing the challenge of finding third countries willing to accept them. One Irish citizen has already been repatriated. Those refusing repatriation will be temporarily housed in a facility in the remote Darien province.

The US is covering all costs associated with the operation, an agreement reached earlier this month following a visit from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The situation is politically sensitive for Panama, given past threats by the Trump administration to retake control of the Panama Canal.

The Panamanian Ombudsman’s Office is expected to release further details on the ongoing situation, addressing the concerns of the stranded migrants and the complexities of finding solutions for their uncertain futures. A similar flight of deportees is expected to arrive in Costa Rica on Wednesday.

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