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Indian migrants deported from US to pass through Costa Rica
New India Abroad brings you an exclusive ground report from Costa Rica on the issue.
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Representative Image of deportation / Reuters
Future illegal Indian deportees from the United States might have to first make a transit halt at Costa Rica’s Temporary Attention Center for Migrants called CATEM.
This follows a major policy shift in which Costa Rica agreed to be the transit hub for the deportees exiting the United States. The first batch of deportees will be handled by CATEM on Wednesday, Feb. 19.
CATEM was created as part of a "Humanitarian Corridor" plan between Panama and Costa Rica to manage the high number of migrants crossing the border between the two countries.
This correspondent met the Director of CATEM who confirmed the arrival of Indian deportees at the center. He said CATEM will “make them happy” and ensure that “they feel like at home” at the center.
Costa Rica will reconfirm the credentials and identities of the deportees and repatriate them to India.
The center is situated on the main Costa Rican highway, around 11 km. north of Paso Canoas, the main border crossing between Costa Rica and Panama.
It is an irony that Indians using the illegal route to the United States would have entered Costa Rica through the same highway that would not taken them back home.
The border between Panama and Costa Rica is open. The movement of peoples of the two countries is free and unobstructed. Their governments are concerned that illegal migrants exploit the open border system to go over to the U.S.
There is some anxiety about the future of these deportees, many of whom must have exhausted their life savings and endured dangerous journeys to reach the U.S., only to be sent back. The role of illegal travel agents in misleading migrants remains a significant concern.
The Costa Rica-Panama border has long been a hotspot for illegal migration due to its open status. Officials say this ease of access has attracted human traffickers, making the region a key route for illegal immigration.
With deportations now routed through Costa Rica, officials speculate that other Latin American countries may adopt similar measures. Such coordinated efforts could pose new challenges for migrants attempting to enter the U.S. illegally and may act as a deterrent against future unlawful crossings.
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