President Donald Trump’s administration has deported thousands of undocumented immigrants since taking office last month.
Data from the US Department of Homeland Security shows that the Trump administration deported 37,660 people in the first month of his inauguration, often from countries of origin, but sometimes from third countries.
Several countries in Central America accept deportation flights. While their own citizens form the majority of people coming from the US, these countries also allow the Trump administration to send citizens of mostly Asian countries, including India, Pakistan and Iran. About 300 outcasts arrived in Panama last week, and more than 100 arrived in Costa Rica, both countries said. The United States has not released official details on the exact and exact number of immigrants.
But why is Trump sending deportation to a third country rather than to their country of origin? And why are these countries accepting exiles?
Which third countries accept deportation flights from the United States?
Last week, Panama became the first country to accept 119 deportations from other countries.
Panama President Jose Raul Murino said on February 13 that the migrants came from countries including China, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Murino said it was the first of three flights expected and that around 360 such exiles are expected to arrive in Panama.
Panama’s Security Minister Frank Abrego said on February 18 that 299 foreign exiles were detained in hotels, indicating that more exiles have arrived in Panama since last week’s first flight landed. These migrants came from ten countries, including Iran, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan and China.
At least 135 people, including children from Uzbekistan, China, Afghanistan and Russia, arrived in San Jose’s Costa Rica’s capital on February 20th.
The United States transported 177 Venezuelan immigrants from a military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Honduras on February 20th. From there, Venezuelan authorities flew them to the flag carrier Combiassa, Caracas, Venezuela’s capital.
Why is Trump deporting people to a third country rather than to their country of origin?
Experts provided multiple reasons.
“It’s faster and limits access to US rights [for migrants]and it is intended to send a message to people seeking asylum and other immigrants not coming,” Michel Mittelstadt, communications director at the Institute for Immigration Policy, told Al Jazeera.
Tanya Golash-Boza, executive director of the University of California, Washington University Center, did not see an official explanation of why immigrants are being sent to third countries, but said “it makes sense to assume that the DHS (Department of Homeland Security) is doing this because the detention centers are full.”
The U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility has the capacity of 38,521 beds, but it detains nearly 42,000 migrants, CBS News cites internal DHS data. Amid the recent rise in immigrant arrests, ICE released some migrants earlier this month, CBS reported.
Golash-Boza told Al Jazeera that when immigrants leave us the soil, “we lose access to similarities in rights they may have for their existence in the United States.”
Mittelstadt explained that deportees sent to third countries have no protection under US law. She added that in third countries, international protection standards “including non-refoumement” may not be supported. Non-Rufflem is a principle of international law that prohibits individuals from sending individuals back to the country they fled when they are not safe for them.
When it comes to deporters from countries where the United States does not have strong formal diplomatic relations, these Central American countries serve other purposes of the Trump administration.
“Trump uses Honduras and the US may be using others because it doesn’t have a decent relationship with Venezuela, but Honduras is and is useful in the meantime.
ICE previously cited countries including India, Pakistan and China as “uncooperative,” but Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during his visit to the White House in February that it was “fully prepared” to regain undocumented immigrants.
According to Smith, 195 immigrants were detained in Guantanamo, of which 177 were sent to Venezuela, one to the US, and 17 remained at the facility.
Smith told Al Jazeera that Guantanamo detainees “have all legal rights.” [US] “Residents including the entire constitution and appropriate court rights.”
He recently said the Trump administration would take people to detention centers to scare them.
“It’s the world’s most notorious torture prison, so there’s less objection to ultimately leaving and returning to their home country,” he said. “The Trump administration is trying to get people out of Guantanamo before they have time to enter the proper courthouse.”
During his first term between 2019 and 2020, Trump sent immigrants on flights to Guatemala, but the operation was stopped due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many human rights groups oppose placing immigrants in countries they are not involved in.
Pro-immigrant rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a US civil rights nonprofit, have sued Trump over the plan. Trump’s first term ended before the lawsuit was resolved, and the lawsuit was held up while the Biden administration changed government policies.
Why did a third country agree to take out the exile?
Central American countries have agreed to bring foreign exiles under political and economic pressure from Trump, analysts say.
Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chavez spoke with reporters Wednesday while his country helped his “economically powerful brother from the north” and said it alluded to inconsistencies in power that allowed the US to force smaller neighbors.
Panamas also face threats from Trump, who has pledged to acquire the Panama Canal, one of the busiest waterways in the world that connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
The deal between Costa Rica and Panama was announced earlier this month when Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Central American countries. Some observers believe that both countries agreed after being threatened by tariffs. Trump has already imposed tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico, and uses them as leverage on others.
Trump threatened to impose a 25% tariff on all Colombian goods after Bogota refused to accept two US military aircraft carrying Colombian decoys last month. Colombian President Gustavo Petro initially responded by threatening retaliatory tariffs, but eventually retreated and agreed to accept deportation flights. Colombia has been exempt from customs.
Where will Denner go from a third country?
The state nurse will be detained in a third country until deportation is arranged.
Panama Department Stores are being detained in a room at a Deka Police hotel in Panama City, protected by police. The video, taken from outside the clear window, showed migrants holding signs that “help us” and “we are not safe in our country.” Others used hand gestures to show that they were deprived of their freedom. On February 19th, news emerged that Chinese woman Zheng Lijuan escaped from the hotel and police were searching for her.
Panama officials say more than 40% of these immigrants don’t want to return to their country of origin, citing security concerns among other reasons.
Panama’s security minister Abrego agreed to return of the 299 deportees to their country of origin, with at least 13 already doing so, authorities said.
The immigrants who refused to return to their country of origin are held in remote Darien camps, which share the border with Colombia. In a statement on February 19, Panama’s Ministry of Security said 97 migrants had been moved to Darien Camp.
Costa Rican immigrants will be detained for up to six weeks at a rural facility near the border with Panama. According to Omer Badilla, deputy minister of the interior ministry and police in Costa Rica, they will then return to their country of origin. The business is funded by the United States.
“The countries that receive these returnees face a major challenge in temporarily holding them and returning, and in those countries they will not reflect on asylum,” said Mittelstadt of the Institute for Immigration Policy.
“These countries are called ‘bridges’, but in reality they are dead ends for these returnees. ”
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