New Delhi: The Indian embassy has confirmed that Indian nationals were among the 299 deported by the Trump administration to Panama, from where they will be sent back to their countries of origin.
Panama is currently hosting undocumented workers from at least 10 countries after its government agreed to act as a “bridge” for deportees, with the United States covering the operational costs. Costa Rica had similarly agreed to take in deported undocumented workers from the US.
The first flight carrying 119 foreign nationals arrived on a US Air Force plane last week. Since then, at least two more flights have brought additional deportees.
After initially being lodged in a hotel, the deportees were to be sent to a camp in San Vicente, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said while announcing the agreement.
The deal was reached during US Secretary of State Marc Rubio’s visit, at a time of heightened tensions over the US President’s remarks about “taking back” the Panama Canal.
The Indian embassy in Panama city wrote on its social media account that it had been informed that a group of Indians had arrived from the US. An embassy team obtained consular access and described them as “safe and secure” at a hotel. “We are working closely with the host government to ensure their well-being,” the embassy posted.
Sources said the exact number of Indians had not been disclosed as verification of their nationality was still underway.
The Associated Press, citing local authorities, reported that 40% of the migrants were refusing to return to their countries voluntarily and would be moved to the jungle camp. Several media outlets reported that some deportees signalled for help from their room windows at the Decápolis hotel.
One of the deportees, a Chinese national, reportedly “escaped” from the hotel.
On Wednesday, nearly 100 of the recently deported migrants were transported to a detention camp on the outskirts of the jungle.
The New York Times reported that detainees described conditions at the site as primitive, with media and aid organisations denied access to the camp.
Since February 5, the US has directly deported 332 Indian nationals on three military flights to India. The Indian government has faced political criticism over accepting a protocol that involved shackling Indian deportees during the long flight home.