Costa Rica agrees to take Indian deportees, 1st batch reaches today

Central American country Costa Rica has agreed to accept illegal migrants, who are nationals of other countries, including India, from the US.

Costa Rica will house these deportees at “migrant centres” till they are finally deported to the countries of their origin. Earlier, Panama and Guatemala had offered to do so for the US.

Move competent authority: HC

The Punjab and Haryana HC disposed of a plea seeking the establishment of emigration check-posts in all districts of Punjab to curb illegal migration. It asked the petitioner to approach competent authority.

This adds a twist to the ongoing deportations as the US was sending illegal migrants directly to India. Sources said with these agreements in place with Costa Rica, Panama and Guatemala, the US will address its domestic audience by showing that the migrants have been removed. The deported people will stay at the facilities till their home countries verify their antecedents. In some cases, the verification will take months, meaning the deportees will be held up in Costa Rica, Panama and Guatemala.

The first group of 200 migrants will arrive at Costa Rica’s Juan Santamaria International Airport on a commercial flight on Wednesday, according to a statement by Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles’ office. Sources said Costa Rica’s plan is to hold them at a specialised facility close to its border with Panama. “The Government of Costa Rica has agreed to collaborate with the United States in the repatriation of 200 illegal immigrants to their country. These are people originating from countries in central Asia and India,” said the statement. The release did not say how many of them are from India.

“Costa Rica will serve as a bridge for them to reach their countries of origin,” it said. The US-funded repatriation is being supervised by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) which will oversee the migrants’ care during their stay, according to the statement.

Three batches comprising a total of 332 Indians have already been sent back to India amid an intensified crackdown by the Trump administration against illegal immigrants.