In recent weeks, hundreds of migrants who risked everything to reach the United States have found themselves in a distressing situation: deported not to their home countries, but to Central American nations serving as transit points due to new arrangements with the Trump administration.
Nearly 300 migrants, many fleeing persecution, conflict and poverty from countries including Afghanistan, Somalia, Cameroon, China, Pakistan and Iran, were sent to Panama in February as President Donald Trump accelerated deportations to more complicated destinations. Similarly, Costa Rica received 200 deportees, including 80 children, primarily from Africa, Central Asia and Europe.
"It feels like the whole world is crushing down on me. It's like everything is stopping," Isha Len, a 29-year-old from Cameroon who was deported to Panama, said in an interview with AP News. "I risked everything, my life, everything, crossing the Darién Gap, just to be sent back.
In Panama, the situation has quickly become troubling. Initially, deportees were held under guard at the luxury Decápolis Hotel in Panama City, where desperate migrants held signs in windows reading "Please help us" and "We are not safe in our country." Those who refused to return to their countries of origin—approximately 112 people—were transferred to a remote camp in the Darién region, the same jungle many had previously crossed on their journey north.
Reports from inside the camp described harsh conditions and severe restrictions. One Chinese deportee, speaking through a hidden cellphone, told the Associated Press that authorities were seizing phones, effectively isolating them from outside communication.
"Someone follows me even when I go to the toilet," the woman said, describing prison-like conditions without access to legal counsel.
After facing legal pressure, including a petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Panama announced on March 14 that it would release the 112 migrants from the camp. Security Minister Frank Ábrego stated outside of a security conference that they would receive 30-day humanitarian passes while they decide their next steps, though lawyers expressed concern this could be a tactic to absolve authorities of responsibility while placing migrants in more vulnerable positions.
Costa Rica has similarly accepted deportees under an agreement reached during U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit earlier this month. The 200 deportees, including families with children, are being held in a migration "reception facility" near the border shared with Panama.
While Costa Rican and U.S. officials have claimed all deportees wish to return to their home countries, interviews conducted by Human Rights Watch contradict this assertion. Multiple deportees reported consistently telling officials they had fled persecution and were seeking asylum.
A 23-year-old Iranian woman who fled religious persecution told Human Rights Watch she had an initial "credible fear" interview with U.S. asylum officers before being deported to Costa Rica without the opportunity to see an immigration judge—a potential violation of U.S. law. Another woman, age 39, described a similar experience after seeking asylum with her 2-year-old son.
Costa Rica's Foreign Minister Arnoldo André Tinoco is scheduled to appear before the Legislative Assembly on March 19 to address the situation and disclose details of the migration agreement with the United States.
These deportations are part of a broader strategy by the Trump administration to accelerate removals by leveraging regional partnerships. Reports indicate the administration has pressured countries across Latin America to facilitate deportations, sometimes under threat of tariffs or sanctions.
Human rights advocates have raised serious concerns about this approach, questioning whether international protections for asylum seekers are being respected and if deportees are being properly screened before being returned to potentially dangerous situations in their home countries.
"As a Panamanian, I feel deeply troubled by the situation of deported migrants being held in camps near the Darién region. What started as temporary detention at a hotel has evolved into confining vulnerable people in remote jungle camps—the same dangerous area many risked their lives to cross,” Karol Pérez, a Panamanian freshman at John Brown University, said.
Pérez continued explaining her disdain towards the actions of the Panamanian government in the face of political tensions. “Panama, traditionally known for its hospitality, is now caught between political agreements and human rights obligations. These individuals, trapped in fear and uncertainty without access to legal counsel or basic freedoms, deserve compassion and protection. Each migrant is a person with dreams and families, and our country should uphold its humanitarian values rather than serving as a detention point in a larger political scheme,” Pérez said.
As these new deportation arrangements continue to unfold, questions remain about their legality under both national and international law. The dire humanitarian implications for vulnerable migrants caught in diplomatic agreements between the United States and Central American nations are also yet to be clear.
"Costa Rica should not be complicit in flagrant U.S. abuses. Costa Rican authorities should expeditiously identify potential refugee claims and ensure that no one is returned to a place where they are at risk of serious harm." Human Rights Watch's senior children's rights counsel Michael Garcia Bochenek said.
Photo courtesy of Rahul Sapra on Pexels
