‘Help’ Messages from Windows: Indians Among 310 US Deportees Held in Panama Hotel

The migrants come from 10 predominantly Asian countries, including Iran, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, and others.

About 300 deportees, many of them Indians, have been detained in a Panama hotel following their deportation from the United States. Migrants from more than 10 countries are in limbo waiting for international authorities to arrange their return to their respective countries. Migrants from Iran, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan and China are not allowed to leave the hotel, which has been converted into a temporary detention centre.

The situation has been described as alarming as most of the detainees are kept under harsh conditions in a foreign country with no fixed timeline for their return. Some migrants feeling unsafe have signalled distress by putting up signs such as “Help” and “We are not safe in our country” on hotel room windows.

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According to Panamanian authorities, more than 40% of deported migrants refuse to return to their country voluntarily. The Panamanian government is providing medical aid and food to these people under an agreement between Panama and the United States. The agreement allows Panama to act as a temporary “bridge” nation for deportees, while the US pays operating expenses.

The US has faced challenges in deporting migrants directly to some countries, so Panama has been used as a transit point. Costa Rica was also due to receive a similar batch of deportees soon. The deportation deal was finalised after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Panama earlier this month, resulting in the first deportation flight arriving last Thursday.

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Panamanian authorities are under pressure as the standoff worsens. Detainees locked in their hotel rooms cannot leave and are being monitored at all times by local authorities. The matter came to light when pictures emerged of migrants looking out the windows of their rooms and showing handwritten notes pleading for help.

Panamanian Security Minister Frank Abrego denied allegations that the migrants were being detained, saying they were being treated in accordance with the migration agreement between Panama and the US. He certified that 171 of the 299 deportees have agreed to return to their homeland voluntarily with the help of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). UN agencies are negotiating with the other 128 migrants to seek other destinations in third countries.

One prominent case among the deportees was that of an Irish citizen who has already returned to his country. Others who will not return to their respective countries will be temporarily sent to a detention center in Darien, a far-flung province of Panama that has been a well-known migrant transit route north in recent years. Abrego explained that the center will be used as a temporary detention area for those who do not agree to return voluntarily.

Panama’s Ombudsman’s Office is expected to release more details on the status of the deportees soon, as both local and international organizations continue to investigate the legality and humanitarian aspects of the arrangement.