More than 40% of these immigrants are reluctant to return to their homes on their own, creating important challenges. Some rely on displaying desperate messages in hotel room windows, pleading for “help,” and stating “We are not saved in our country.”
The US uses Panama as a transport country for department stores as it is difficult to expel individuals directly to a particular country. Costa Rica is also expected to receive similar third-country deportees on Wednesday.
Abrego also revealed that 171 of the 299 deportees agreed to return to their respective countries with support from the International Migration Agency and the United Nations Refugee Agency. However, the remaining 128 migrants are still being processed, and efforts are being made to find alternative destinations for them in third countries. One deported Irish citizen has already returned to her country, but those who refuse to return to their country of origin will be temporarily retained in a remote Darien facility.
The Panama government has agreed to serve as a “bridge” for Decorty, with the US covering all the costs of the operation. The deal was announced earlier this month after a visit from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Panama’s President Jose Raul Murino has become more complicated in the face of political pressure on Trump’s threat to regain control of the Panama Canal.
The Panama Ombudsman office provides further updates on the Decoy situation, shedding more light on challenges and potential solutions.
