US Deportation Effort to Accept 25 Costa Rican Nationals Per Week

Costa Rica Signs Deportation Agreement with the US

Costa Rica has agreed to accept 25 migrants per week from the United States as part of a deportation agreement. The Central American nation signed the pact on Monday during a visit by US special envoy Kristi Noem, who oversees the “Shield of the Americas” initiative.

The agreement allows for the transfer of foreign nationals to Costa Rica, which will be processed under the country’s migration laws. The deportees will have a special migratory status and will not be returned to countries where they may face persecution or risk.

Costa Rica is one of several countries that have signed agreements with the US to accept deportees from other countries. Other nations include South Sudan, Honduras, Rwanda, Guyana, and several Caribbean islands.

The agreement has been criticized for its potential impact on vulnerable populations. In 2022, Costa Rica received a group of 200 deportees from countries such as Russia, China, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan, who were held in detention facilities under harsh conditions. The country’s supreme court later ordered their release, and many were granted temporary permits to stay.

Costa Rican Public Security Minister Mario Zamora Cordero stated that the new agreement will ensure the safe return of deportees to their countries of origin while they are in Costa Rica. He also announced plans to work with the US and the United Nations International Organization for Migration to house the deportees.

The agreement is part of President Donald Trump’s mass-deportation campaign, which aims to transfer immigrants to “third countries”. The details of the agreement were not immediately disclosed, but it is expected that Costa Rica will accept a significant number of migrants per week.

Source: Al Jazeera