A desperate scene unfolded in Panama’s capital as a few deportees sent from the United States, held up handwritten notes from their hotel windows pleading for help. Messages such as “Please help us” and “We are not safe in our country” were visible from the building where they were being held under police guard and barred from leaving.
According to a report from AP, nearly 300 deportees are awaiting repatriation to their countries in the hotel. Public security minister Frank Abrego said that some of the migrants are from India, China, Iran and Vietnam.
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The migrants, primarily from Asian countries, have been stranded in Panama after the Central American nation agreed to serve as a transit point for individuals whom the US found difficult to deport directly. Their uncertain status has sparked criticism of the Panamanian government, which claims the migrants are not being detained.
The Embassy of India in Panama took cognisance of the matter and said that Indian deportees in Panama are “safe and secure.”
“Panamanian authorities have informed us that a group of Indians have reached Panama from US. They are safe and secure at a Hotel with all essential facilities. Embassy team has obtained consular access. We are working closely with the host Government to ensure their wellbeing,” the embassy wrote.
Panama’s national immigration service reported Wednesday that one migrant, a Chinese woman, had escaped from the hotel with the help of people loitering nearby. Authorities have warned that those who aided her could face charges related to human trafficking or migrant smuggling.
The fate of the deportees remains uncertain. Security minister Frank Abrego said on Tuesday that 171 of the 299 migrants have agreed to return to their home countries, but he did not provide a timeline. One Irish citizen has already been repatriated, he noted.
However, around 40% of the group has refused voluntary repatriation, raising concerns about how long they will remain confined in the hotel. Authorities have indicated that the remaining migrants will be transferred to a temporary migration facility near the Darien Gap, a dense jungle region along the Colombian border until a resolution is found.
The Darien Gap is a historically perilous route used by migrants travelling north toward the US, and its use as a holding area for deportees has only deepened the controversy surrounding Panama’s role in US immigration enforcement.