New Delhi: A flight carrying 12 Indian immigrants deported from the US to Panama arrived at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Sunday, February 23. This is the first group of Indian nationals repatriated from Panama after the US deported around 299 undocumented immigrants.
Panama and Costa Rica, working with the US, are facilitating the return of these migrants, many of whom are from Central Asian countries, including India. As per reports, the individuals were either unwilling to return home or were stranded due to their governments' refusal to accept them.
The US is transferring these migrants to Panama and Costa Rica for repatriation to their countries.
The Indian nationals deported from Panama arrived in New Delhi via Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines flight. Among the deportees, four hailed from Punjab, while three each were from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. At present, the identity of one individual remains unidentified.
After landing in New Delhi, four of the deportees, all from different districts in Punjab, were transferred to Amritsar by air for further processing. The repatriation marks a significant step in the ongoing efforts to bring back Indian nationals who had been detained in Panama after being deported by the US.
On Monday, February 17, the Costa Rican government announced it would accept undocumented immigrants from India and Central Asia. This decision comes as part of a controversial agreement with the United States, which is deporting 200 individuals as part of its intensified immigration crackdown. The US government will fully finance the repatriation process, overseen by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Costa Rica's move aligns with regional efforts to manage immigration and assist the reintegration of deported individuals. The first group of deportees will arrive by commercial flight and be placed in a Temporary Migrant Care Center (TMCC) near the Panama border.
