February 20, 2025: Nearly 300 illegal immigrants, including a large number of Indians, are being held at a hotel in Panama after being deported from the United States as part of a sweeping crackdown on undocumented migrants.
Images circulating on major news networks show detainees holding up desperate pleas for help from the windows of Decapolis Hotel in Panama City. Signs reading “Please help us” and “We are not safe” have sparked concerns over their treatment, while Panamanian police officers stand guard outside the premises.
According to reports from the Associated Press, the deportees come from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Vietnam, and Iran. With deportation processes facing logistical hurdles, Panama is being used as a temporary transit point.
Despite the detainees' concerns, Panama’s Security Minister Frank Abrego has stated that they are not being “deprived of their freedom.” He assured that all deportees are receiving food and medical assistance as per an agreement between Panama and the US. He also added that those unwilling to return to their home countries would be relocated to a shelter in the Darien jungle, where international agencies like the UN Refugee Agency will arrange further migration options.
The situation escalates amid the US government's intensified deportation efforts. Following US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent visit, Panama agreed to serve as a transit hub while Washington bears the financial burden of the operation.
So far, at least 171 deportees have voluntarily agreed to return home, while 97 others have been transferred to the Darien camp. Eight more are expected to be moved soon. Meanwhile, a Chinese woman reportedly escaped the hotel but was later found near a migrant processing center along the Panama-Costa Rica border, a known transit point for migrants heading to the US.
Back in India, three US deportation flights have landed in Amritsar since February 5, bringing back 332 illegal immigrants. The first flight carried 104 deportees, the second 116, and the third 112. Many of the returnees alleged they were shackled and handcuffed throughout their flight, sparking outrage over their treatment.
As the crisis unfolds, international human rights groups are raising concerns over the conditions of deportees stranded in Panama, while families in India and other affected countries anxiously await updates on their loved ones.