Afghan Refugees Deported to Panama, Held in Harsh Conditions

A group of migrants who were moved to a shelter in the Darien region in Panama after being deported from the United States were released on Saturday (March 8) and bussed to Panama’s capital city thanks to a temporary permit granted by the Central American government.

Migrants from countries including Afghanistan, China, Iran and Russia sat waiting in a bus station with their belongings. 

One of the Afghan refugees present in this area, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said that they had endured extremely difficult conditions there and were not even allowed to communicate with their family.

“The Darien Gap is very dangerous and restrictive. During our stay, we couldn’t speak with our families, we didn’t have mobile phones, we couldn’t speak with our lawyers. It was a difficult situation as we didn’t have enough food and things like that,” he said. 

In mid-February, a group of 299 migrants from other nations had been moved to the Darien, a dangerous jungle region near the Colombian border and key transit route for many migrants crossing from South America on foot, raising concerns from lawyers.

The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations of Afghanistan has expressed its opposition to this process.

Abdul Mutalib Haqqani, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations, told : “We oppose the forced deportation and relocation of refugees. This action is not only against Islamic principles but also contradicts international laws.”

Panama officials announced on Friday (March 7) it would issue temporary permits for some migrants, allowing them to stay in the Central American nation for up to 90 days if they do not wish to return to their home countries for security reasons.

On the other hand, Shawn VanDiver, the head of AfghanEvac, who has opposed the Trump administration’s decisions from the beginning, emphasized that the US government must change its course.

 “Wartime allies and veterans seem to be primary targets of this administration and I hope they change course soon,” he said.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Refugees called on Afghans residing in other countries to respect the laws of those nations.

He stressed that voluntary return is better than forced deportation and added: “If they return to the country willingly, they can bring their skills and investments to Afghanistan and contribute to the country’s reconstruction.”