Panama Offers Temporary Freedom to US-Deported Migrants

Panama has decided to grant freedom of movement to 112 migrants from Asia, previously detained in the Darien camp after deportation from the U.S. The migrants will receive temporary humanitarian passes and have 30 days to decide their next steps. Panama faced criticism for their earlier detention conditions.

In a significant move, Panama announced it will allow 112 Asian migrants, previously held in a remote camp following their deportation from the United States, to move freely within the country. This decision provides the migrants with 30 days of liberty to determine their future plans.

Security Minister Frank Ábrego confirmed that these individuals, who were deported under a U.S. agreement, would receive temporary humanitarian passes for an initial 30 days, subject to renewal. The migrants had resisted assistance from international agencies, opting to find their own way forward, Ábrego explained in a conference statement.

Panama has been criticized for its treatment of the detained migrants, including holding them without essential items like passports or cell phones. Legal advocates had sought intervention from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to address their plight, as most of the migrants had previously been housed in challenging conditions at a camp in San Vicente.

(With inputs from agencies.)