Panama and Costa Rica turning into a ‘black hole’ for migrants and deportees from US, observers warn

MIRAMAR, Panama — Officials in Costa Rica and Panama are confiscating migrants’ passports and cellphones, denying them access to legal services and moving them between remote outposts as they wrestle with the logistics of a suddenly reversed migration flow. Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Earlier this month, the U.S. sent 299 deportees from mostly Asian countries to Panama. Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Migrants spend the night in a shelter in Palenque, Panama, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print ‘Black hole for deported migrants’ Costa Rica and Panama have so far denied press access to facilities where they are holding migrants. Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Isolation and confusion on the route south Panama and Costa Rica, long transit countries for people migrating north, have scrambled to address the new flow of migrants going south and organize the flow.