Migrants, including Indians, detained in Panama hotel hold 'we are not safe' placards

Images have surfaced showing migrants holding up messages at their hotel windows reading "Help" and "We are not safe in our country," highlighting the desperation of those detained. (AFP Photo)

Panama is currently holding nearly 300 deported migrants from multiple countries in a hotel in its capital, awaiting repatriation under an agreement with the United States. The detainees, many of whom embarked on perilous journeys through Latin America in hopes of reaching the US, are now facing an uncertain future, with more than 40 percent refusing to return to their home countries, citing safety concerns and economic instability.

The group, which includes a significant number of Indian nationals, also comprises individuals from Pakistan, China, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Iran, Afghanistan, and other nations. Due to logistical and diplomatic challenges in directly deporting individuals to certain countries, the US and Panama have arranged for temporary detention in Panama before repatriation. However, frustration is mounting as many migrants claim they were misled by human traffickers and have spent their life savings in an attempt to reach the US, only to end up in legal limbo.

Images have surfaced showing migrants holding up messages at their hotel windows reading "Help" and "We are not safe in our country," highlighting the desperation of those detained. Despite being confined to their rooms under police guard, Panama's Security Minister Frank Abrego has denied that the migrants are under detention, asserting that they are receiving medical care and food while awaiting further action.

As of now, 171 of the 299 deportees have agreed to return to their home countries with assistance from the International Organization for Migration and the UN Refugee Agency. Efforts are underway to find alternative destinations for the remaining 128 migrants. One deported Irish national has already returned home, while those who refuse repatriation will be relocated to a facility in the remote Darien province, a key migration corridor in Central America.