A hotel in Panama City has become a detention site for nearly 300 migrants deported from the US, including nationals from India, Iran, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China. Held under strict surveillance, they are reportedly unable to leave the premises. Disturbing visuals show women holding handwritten signs from hotel windows, pleading for help with messages like “Please help us” and “We are not safe in our country.”
Public Security Minister Frank Abrego defended the detentions, stating, “They are in our custody for their protection. We are ensuring their medical care and all necessary comforts.”
However, rights groups and international media have raised alarms over their treatment. Reports indicate that detainees’ passports and phones have been confiscated, they have been denied legal assistance, and some may be transferred to a shelter near the dangerous Darien jungle.
Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Panama has assured that Indian nationals among the detainees are “safe and secure” with access to essential facilities.
With over 40% of the deportees unwilling to return to their home countries, uncertainty looms over their future. As the US continues using Panama as a transit point for deportations, human rights activists are calling for greater transparency and fair treatment of migrants.
