Fri Mar 21 09:06:30 UTC 2025: ## Desperate Deportés: Hundreds Abandoned in Panama After US Deportation
**Panama City, Panama – March 21, 2025** – Hundreds of migrants deported from the United States to Panama are facing a desperate situation, with little to no support from either Panamanian authorities or foreign governments. Deported from the US primarily under the Trump administration’s accelerated deportation program, these individuals, hailing from Afghanistan, Russia, Iran, and China, find themselves stranded and uncertain of their future.
Initially held in a remote jungle camp, the deportees were recently released with a one-month deadline to leave Panama. Lacking funds, familiarity with the country, and sufficient language skills, they’ve resorted to visiting numerous embassies and consulates in Panama City, seeking asylum in other nations. However, their pleas have largely been met with rejection or unhelpful responses.
Hayatullah Omagh, a 29-year-old Afghan refugee, exemplifies their plight. Having fled the Taliban, he detailed his circumstances in emails to various embassies, only to receive standard form rejections. Similar experiences were recounted by Aleksandr Surgin, a Russian opponent of the war in Ukraine, who faces potential imprisonment or conscription if returned to his homeland.
While some deportees expressed willingness to seek asylum in Panama, they report being informed by both aid groups and Panamanian officials that this is highly improbable. Álvaro Botero, an advocate at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, suggests that foreign governments are hesitant to offer assistance for fear of straining relations with the Trump administration.
The situation is further complicated by the Trump administration’s concurrent policies: closing legal pathways to the U.S., accelerating deportations, suspending the refugee resettlement program, and cutting funding for aid organizations. This has left the deportees in a critical state of vulnerability. Adding to the urgency, reports emerged of over 200 Venezuelan migrants deported to El Salvador and held in a maximum-security prison, under allegations of gang affiliation without provided evidence.
The UN Refugee Agency, while expressing willingness to assist with the asylum process *within* Panama, acknowledged the extremely low probability of success. The agency’s head, Filippo Grandi, issued a statement condemning the US aid cuts, emphasizing the need for international solidarity. The UN’s International Organization for Migration did not offer an immediate response to requests for comment.
The deportees remain trapped in a cycle of rejection, their hopes diminishing with each failed attempt to secure asylum. Their desperate situation highlights the human cost of restrictive immigration policies and the urgent need for international cooperation in addressing this humanitarian crisis.
First Piper 