More than 100 asylum seekers, recently deported from the United States, are currently held in a precarious camp in Panama's Darién province. Confined with limited access to legal support and international organizations, the migrants face an uncertain future as over half consider repatriation.
Asylum Seekers Housed in Panamanian Jungle Camp Face Uncertainty After U.S. Deportation
Asylum Seekers Housed in Panamanian Jungle Camp Face Uncertainty After U.S. Deportation
Over 100 migrants deported from the U.S. to Panama are confined in a camp, without clarity on their future or potential repatriation.
The San Vicente migrant camp, located a grueling four-hour journey from Panama’s capital, serves as temporary housing for over 100 asylum seekers who have recently been deported from the United States. These individuals hail from various countries, and have found themselves trapped in a space marked by robust fences and armed guards, with makeshift beds on hard benches or cots.
Access to the camp is heavily restricted—journalists face barriers, while legal representatives report difficulty in communicating with their clients. The situation is being managed by the Panamanian government, rather than the international aid agencies that had originally been thought to be involved.
This group of migrants is part of a broader trend where several hundred individuals have attempted to enter the U.S. to seek asylum, only to be rapidly deported back to Central America. They now represent a test case for the U.S. government’s strategies surrounding immigration and deportation policies. Among the approximately 300 deportees sent to Panama, President Raúl Mulino notes that over half have already opted for repatriation, indicating the dire circumstances they face in navigating their uncertain futures.
