Costa Rica and Panama Collaborate to Manage Southbound Migrant Flow
Costa Rica and Panama are coordinating to assist southbound migrants returning home due to U.S. immigration policies. Security ministers have met to organize transportation, aiming to mitigate risks from human traffickers. This comes amid the reception of deported migrants, with legal advocates seeking protections for those detained under harsh conditions.
Costa Rica and Panama are collaborating to facilitate the transit of southbound migrants, who are now moving in the opposite direction after previously heading north. This shift has been influenced by the recent immigration policies instituted during President Donald Trump’s administration, which effectively closed the U.S. border to asylum seekers. To address the new situation, security officials from both nations convened on Monday in Peñas Blancas, a border locale, to organize transportation for these migrants.
Security ministers Mario Zamora of Costa Rica and Frank Ábrego of Panama discussed plans to efficiently transport Colombians, Venezuelans, and Ecuadorians returning to their home countries. They aim to establish a secure transit route that mitigates the risks posed by human traffickers. As part of this coordinated effort, migrants arriving from Nicaragua will be bused to Costa Rica and subsequently taken to Panama’s Darien province, which borders Colombia.
Recently, migrants began crossing into Costa Rica, boarding buses to continue their journey southward. Last week, some utilized boats departing from a Panamanian port to navigate towards the Panama-Colombia border, thereby avoiding the hazardous land passage through the Darien Gap. However, Venezuelan migrant Bárbara Somayor expressed concerns regarding the safety of boat travel, stating, “I think it would be better if they offered us air transportation.”
The reverse migration trend coincides with an agreement between Panama and Costa Rica to receive several hundred migrants from Asian countries who have been deported by the United States. While some former migrants have opted to return home, others find themselves in limbo, detained as host nations deliberate their next steps. Currently, some are housed in a camp in Panama, where they report facing challenging conditions and a lack of essential information.
Legal advocates have recently acted, submitting a petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, seeking measures to protect the rights of detained migrants and ensure they receive fair treatment. This situation remains fluid as governments and humanitarian organizations strive to address the pressing needs of both returning migrants and those deported from the United States.
In summary, Costa Rica and Panama are actively coordinating efforts to manage the unexpected influx of migrants heading southwards. The countries aim to provide secure transit routes while addressing the complexities posed by recent immigration policies. As efforts to safeguard migrant rights continue, ongoing legal challenges indicate the urgency of addressing humanitarian needs along this migration pathway.
Original Source: apnews.com
Post Comment