Costa Rica will receive 50 migrant children on Thursday as part of a group of 200 individuals deported from the United States, President Rodrigo Chaves confirmed. He assured that the country would treat them well, though he did not specify whether the minors would be accompanied by family members.
Costa Rica, along with Panama and Guatemala, has agreed to temporarily accommodate migrants expelled by the US until they can be repatriated or relocated to third countries. The 200 deportees, mostly from Central Asia and India, will be transported by bus from the capital, San José, to a migrant facility near the Panama border, about 360 kilometres (223 miles) away.
Chaves emphasised that the migrants would not be allowed to leave the facility and would remain in the country for “four, five, six weeks” at most. Their repatriation will be managed by the US embassy in San José and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), with all costs covered by the United States.
The treatment of deported migrants in host countries has drawn international attention. Earlier this week, Panama denied allegations that migrants were being held against their will after some displayed signs at a temporary shelter reading, “Please help us” and “We are not safe in our country.”
Church groups in Costa Rica have also voiced concerns over the welfare of incoming migrants, especially the children.
Latin America has historically been a major source of migration to the US, with many making perilous journeys through dangerous terrain and criminal-infested routes in search of a better life.
The deportations come during a tougher US stance on immigration under President Donald Trump. During last year’s election campaign, Trump took a hard line against undocumented migrants, controversially referring to some as “monsters” and “animals.”
Since taking office last month, he has declared a national emergency at the US-Mexico border and pledged to deport “millions and millions” of undocumented migrants.
As US authorities intensify their immigration policies, countries like Costa Rica are left to manage the humanitarian implications of these mass deportations.
