After the U.S. deported approximately 300 migrants to Panama, officials disclosed that over 170 had agreed to return to their home countries. This group includes migrants from regions where deportation flights are infrequently accepted. While Panama and Costa Rica have accommodated these migrants, many remain confined in the Decapolis Hotel Panama as they await relocation to a camp. Reporters highlighted that several migrants from dangerous regions, like Iran and China, sought asylum but faced legal hurdles, with a lawyer blocked from accessing them.
The Trump administration has been pressing countries in Latin America to accept those migrants as it steps up deportations amid a crackdown on unauthorized immigration.
Panama's security minister, Frank Abrego, stated that migrants would remain at the camp until offered asylum in a third country where they felt safe.
A lawyer seeking to represent several migrants reported that officials had blocked her from entering the hotel multiple times, preventing her from assisting.
Several migrants from Iran sought assistance in applying for refugee status in Panama, but access to them remained restricted.
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