Costa Rica will welcome migrants from the U.S. this week, a strategy mimicked by Panama, amidst an escalation in U.S. deportations under the Trump administration, raising questions about migrant care and future repatriation.**
Costa Rica Steps Up to Accept Migrants from Distant Lands as US Deportation Flights Increase**
Costa Rica Steps Up to Accept Migrants from Distant Lands as US Deportation Flights Increase**
In a significant move, Costa Rica agrees to airlift migrants from Central Asia and India deported by the U.S., joining Panama in a unique approach to handling unauthorized migration.**
Costa Rica announced on Monday that it would receive its first group of deportees from the United States, comprising 200 migrants primarily from Central Asia and India. This decision makes Costa Rica the second Central American nation, following Panama, to accept individuals deported from distant countries as part of a U.S. effort to increase the frequency of deportation flights.
The recent development aligns with the Trump administration's shifting tactics, which are focused on managing unauthorized migrants who come from nations where repatriation might be challenging. Instead of keeping these individuals in detention facilities near the southern U.S. border, the administration is seeking partnerships with countries willing to take in deportees, leaving their future status uncertain.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during his visit to Central America earlier this month, achieved commitments from several governments, including those of Costa Rica and Panama, to collaborate on migration matters. However, specific details regarding this collaboration have been sparse.
In its announcement, the Costa Rican government indicated that the first group of deportees would arrive on a commercial flight this Wednesday. Costa Rica emphasized that it would act as a transit point for these migrants; the U.S. government will fully underwrite their return process, which will be managed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN agency tasked with the migrants' welfare while they reside in Costa Rica.
Following their arrival at the main airport in San José, the deportees are set to be transferred to a migrant shelter located in Corredores, a canton in southern Costa Rica. Officials did not disclose how many additional migrants might be sent by the U.S. or the expected duration of their stay in Costa Rica prior to processing their repatriation.
Just months ago, Costa Rica faced challenges with thousands of migrants traversing its territory on their journey to the U.S. border, leading to overcrowded shelters, particularly for those who had perilously crossed the Darién Gap between Colombia and Panama. However, the number of migrants passing through Costa Rica has significantly declined in the past year, attributed to enhanced immigration measures by the U.S., Mexico, and Panama.
Annie Correal, reporting for OnPoint, brings insights into this evolving immigration landscape that affects both policymakers and the migrants seeking refuge.
