Six Asian migrants deported by the United States escaped two weeks ago from the shelter where they were confined in Costa Rica, waiting for another country to receive them, revealed the Migration Directorate on Monday. They are three Afghans, two Indians, and one Pakistani, who were among the 200 migrants expelled by the Donald Trump administration in February on two flights to Costa Rica and who were admitted to the Temporary Migrants Reception Center (Catem), near the border with Panama.
“A couple of weeks ago, six adults from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India escaped from Catem, and to date there are no further details about their whereabouts,” said Migration Director Omer Badilla. He added in an audio message sent to the media that the escapees “did not have official documentation.” Migration police have issued “an alert with the purpose of verifying if these individuals can be located within the national territory in order to return them to Catem,” he explained.
The deported individuals were supposed to wait in the shelter for their repatriation or relocation to other countries. Costa Rica’s Ombudsman’s Office has criticized the treatment they have received. Last week, an Afghan woman, speaking from behind the bars of Catem, said she had fled her country because she wanted to study, work, wear jeans, and go to the park without the constant presence of a man.
She also warned that if she were forced to return to Afghanistan, “the Taliban would kill her.” In addition to Costa Rica, Trump sent 300 deported individuals—mostly Asians—to Panama. He also sent 238 Venezuelans to El Salvador, where they ended up confined in a maximum-security prison accused of being part of the criminal gang Tren de Aragua, despite no evidence being presented.
On Monday, another 17 alleged “violent criminals” from Venezuela and El Salvador deported by Washington arrived in El Salvador.
