Costa Rica and Panama Collaborate to Assist Southbound Migrants
Costa Rica and Panama are working together to facilitate the transit of southbound migrants. This initiative comes in response to changing migration patterns resulting from U.S. immigration policy. The security ministers of both countries have outlined plans to offer safer travel options and address the needs of returning migrants, particularly from Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador.
Costa Rica and Panama are actively collaborating to facilitate the transit of southbound migrants through their territories, a response to the recent trend of migration reversing direction due to U.S. immigration policies. These efforts were outlined during a meeting between the security ministers of both nations, held at the Peñas Blancas border post on February 27, 2025.
Migrants who are returning primarily from southern Mexico include many from Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador, who are now seeking safe passage back to their home countries. Costa Rican Security Minister Mario Zamora emphasized the initiative aims to provide a safer travel option, reducing the risks posed by traffickers.
Migrants arriving from Nicaragua board buses to transit through Costa Rica and onwards into Panama, where they will eventually reach the Darien province, which borders Colombia. In addition, Panama has instituted boat transportation for migrants to navigate around the perilous Darien Gap, a notorious area for hazardous land crossings.
However, some migrants express skepticism regarding the available means of transportation, as Venezuelan migrant Bárbara Somayor remarked on the dangers associated with boat travel. This period of reversed migration coincides with both countries agreeing to accept several hundred deported migrants, primarily from Asian countries, who have been turned back by the United States.
Certain deported migrants are currently held in challenging conditions at a camp in Panama’s Darien province, previously designated for those traveling northward. Human rights advocates have raised concerns about the treatment of these individuals, seeking intervention from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to protect their rights.
The collaboration between Costa Rica and Panama seeks to manage the emerging trend of southbound migration as individuals return to their home countries, primarily due to changes in U.S. immigration policy. Both countries are taking measures to provide safety and support for these individuals while addressing the challenges of accommodating deported migrants. The situation underscores the complex dynamics of migration in the region and the importance of coordinated efforts to ensure the safety and rights of migrants.
Original Source: apnews.com
