Nearly 100 migrants deported from the United States to Panama have been transferred from a hotel in the capital to a shelter in the Darien jungle, Panama’s security ministry confirmed on Wednesday. Of the 299 migrants deported from the U.S. in recent days, 13 have been repatriated to their home countries, while another 175 remain in a hotel in Panama City awaiting onward travel after agreeing to voluntary return. The U.S. has been funding their stay through the U.N.-affiliated International Organization for Migration and the U.N. refugee agency.
The migrants, originating from countries such as Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Nepal, and Turkey, were sent to Panama under an agreement allowing the U.S. to deport individuals from nations that refuse direct repatriation flights. Human rights groups have raised concerns over the safety of migrants who may face persecution or violence if returned home. Panamanian lawyer Susana Sabalza, representing a Muslim family among those transferred, expressed fears for their safety, stating they could be at risk of execution if deported to their home country.
The migrants transferred to the Darien region are housed at the San Vicente shelter, located in the dense and dangerous jungle that has become a key route for migrants heading north to the U.S. Meanwhile, reports indicate that a Chinese national, Zheng Lijuan, escaped from the migrant hotel in Panama City but was later caught in Costa Rica and returned to Panama. Some migrants at the hotel were seen attempting to communicate with reporters outside, as they were not allowed to leave the premises.
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