After weeks of lawsuits and human rights criticism, Panama released dozens of deported migrants on Saturday, giving them 30 days to leave the country. Among them was 29-year-old Hayatullah Omagh, an Afghan refugee who fled after the Taliban takeover in 2022.
Many of the migrants, from China, Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and Nepal, were detained in poor conditions in a remote camp after being sent to Panama under a U.S.-Panama-Costa Rica deportation agreement. Critics argue the deal allows the U.S. to export its deportation process and denies asylum seekers their legal rights.
Omagh, who sought asylum in the U.S. but was rejected, now faces an uncertain future. “We are refugees. We do not have money or relatives here,” he said. “I can’t go back to Afghanistan under any circumstances.”
Human rights lawyers have raised concerns about medical neglect, with some migrants released in need of urgent care. Panama has denied wrongdoing but barred journalists from accessing the camp. While some aid organizations are working to relocate deportees, Panama’s government insists it does not accept asylum requests.
