Fri Feb 21 10:28:24 UTC 2025: ## Costa Rica Becomes Latest Latin American Country to Accept US Deportation Flights
**San Jose, Costa Rica –** Costa Rica has become the latest Latin American nation to facilitate US deportations, accepting a flight carrying 135 migrants, including 65 children, from various countries including Uzbekistan, China, Afghanistan, and Russia. This marks the first such flight under a deal struck between the Trump administration and Costa Rica earlier this month, a move that has drawn criticism from human rights advocates.
The deportees, many of whom are families, arrived on Thursday, February 20, 2025, at Juan Santamaria International Airport and were transported to a rural holding facility near the Panama border. They will be detained for up to six weeks before being repatriated to their countries of origin, with the US government covering all costs. The Costa Rican government stated that most deportees have agreed to return voluntarily. However, those refusing repatriation will be offered refuge in Costa Rica or assistance in relocating to a third country through the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
This agreement mirrors similar arrangements with other Latin American countries, including Panama, which recently housed 299 deportees in guarded hotels before returning some to their home countries and others to a camp in Darien province. Honduras also participated, acting as a “humanitarian bridge” for a flight of Venezuelan deportees from Guantanamo Bay.
Concerns have been raised regarding the conditions of the detention facility in Costa Rica, which has faced past criticism for its cramped and unsanitary conditions. While the Costa Rican government claims improvements have been made, access has been denied to journalists. Further concerns surround the lack of adequate screening to ensure deportees’ safety upon return and the potential violation of international protections for asylum seekers.
The IOM has confirmed providing humanitarian support and facilitating voluntary returns, but stressed it’s not directly involved in the detention process. The arrangement has sparked debate about the ethics and legality of using third countries as transit points for deportations, highlighting the complex humanitarian challenges posed by increased US deportation efforts.
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