Nearly 100 Migrants Deported from U.S. to Panama Relocated to Darien Jungle Region

In a key development in the ongoing U.S. deportation efforts, Panama’s government announced on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, that a group of nearly 100 migrants, deported from the United States last week, has been transferred from a hotel in Panama City to the Darien jungle region in the south of the country. This move marks a new chapter in the controversial handling of migrants under an agreement between the U.S. and Panama, raising concerns about human rights and the future of those caught in this legal and logistical limbo.

From Hotel to Jungle: A Sudden Shift

The migrants, part of a larger group of 299 individuals deported to Panama in recent days, arrived on U.S.-chartered flights as part of President Donald Trump’s escalated deportation agenda. Initially housed under tight security at the Decapolis Hotel in Panama City, the group faced an uncertain fate. Images of migrants holding signs reading “Please help us” and “We are not safe in our country” from hotel windows sparked widespread attention and criticism earlier this week.

According to Panama’s Security Ministry, 97 of these migrants were abused late Tuesday night to the San Vicente shelter in the Darien region, a dense and lawless jungle area near the Colombian border. Eight more are slated to follow soon. The ministry stated that of the original 299 deportees, 13 have been repatriated to their countries of origin, while 175 remain in the Panama City hotel, awaiting voluntary return arrangements. The nearly 100 sent to Darien are those who have refused voluntary repatriation, leaving them in a precarious holding pattern as authorities seek third countries willing to accept them.

Who Are the Migrants?

The deportees represent a diverse mix of nationalities, primarily from Asia and the Middle East, including Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino has highlighted this diversity, noting that his country agreed to serve as a transit hub for migrants the U.S. cannot directly deport to their home nations due to diplomatic or logistical challenges. This arrangement stems from a deal brokered following a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, amid tensions over Trump’s threats to reclaim control of the Panama Canal.

Among the group are families with children, adding urgency to concerns about their treatment. Reports from migrants describe harsh conditions: confiscated passports, limited access to lawyers, and, now, relocation to a remote jungle camp with primitive facilities. One deportee, Artemis Ghasemzadeh, a 27-year-old Iranian, described the San Vicente camp as resembling “a zoo” with “fenced cages,” raising alarm about the environment awaiting these individuals.

The Darien Dilemma

The Darien region, specifically the Darien Gap, is infamous as a treacherous migration corridor. In recent years, it has seen hundreds of thousands of migrants, mostly from South America, traverse its jungles en route to the U.S. Now, it’s being repurposed as a holding area for deportees traveling in the opposite direction. The San Vicente shelter, originally built to assist northbound migrants, is ill-equipped for long-term detention, with endemic diseases like dengue and restricted access for journalists and aid groups amplifying fears over the migrants’ well-being.

Panama’s decision to relocate these deportees has drawn sharp criticism from human rights advocates. Groups worry about potential mistreatment and the safety of returning individuals to countries marked by violence or persecution, such as Afghanistan. Susana Sabalza, a Panamanian migration lawyer representing one affected family, has been denied access to her clients and is now seeking permission to visit them in Darien, underscoring the opacity surrounding the process.

A Broader Deportation Strategy

This relocation is a visible outcome of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration policy, launched after declaring a national emergency at the U.S. southern border in January 2025. With a pledge to deport “millions and millions” of undocumented migrants, the U.S. has leaned on countries like Panama and Costa Rica (which is set to receive a similar flight of 200 deportees this week) as stopover points for those whose home countries resist direct repatriation.

Panama’s Security Minister Frank Ábrego has defended the arrangement, claiming the migrants are held “for their own protection” while identities are verified and destinations secured. Yet, the transfer to Darien—four hours from Panama City—has intensified scrutiny of Panama’s role, especially given its own struggles to manage migration through the Darien Gap, which Mulino has worked to curb since taking office last year.

What Lies Ahead?

The fate of the nearly 100 migrants now in Darien remains uncertain. With no clear timeline for their next move, they face indefinite detention in a region known for its harsh conditions. The international community, including the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration, which is funding their stay alongside U.S. support, is under pressure to find solutions, be it asylum in Panama, resettlement elsewhere, or safe repatriation.

For now, this group’s journey, from U.S. border crossings to a Panama City hotel and now a jungle camp embodies the cost of geopolitical agreements and stringent immigration policies. As the world watches, the question looms: will this be a temporary stop, or the beginning of a prolonged ordeal in one of the world’s most unpleasant regions?

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