No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeCosta RicaCosta Rica Faces UN Lawsuit Over Rights of Deported Migrant Children

Costa Rica Faces UN Lawsuit Over Rights of Deported Migrant Children

Costa Rica faces a lawsuit before the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, accused of violating the rights of 81 migrant children deported from the United States in February 2025. The children, part of 200 migrants from countries including China, Iran, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan, were detained for nearly two months at a rural facility near the Panama border, prompting allegations of inadequate conditions, according to the Global Strategic Litigation Council and other human rights groups.

The lawsuit, filed on April 17, claims Costa Rica breached the Convention on the Rights of the Child by holding the children, some as young as 2, without legal status, access to education, or mental health services in their native languages. Silvia Serna Román, a lead attorney, stated that the prolonged detention risks long-term harm, with parents reporting children appearing isolated or sad. The facility, a former factory in Corredores, was criticized by Costa Rica’s ombudsman for poor conditions, including migrants sleeping on cardboard and limited food, though officials dispute these claims.

In February, the migrants arrived on two U.S.-funded flights to Juan Santamaría International Airport, part of a verbal agreement with the Trump administration to process deportees from non-Western Hemisphere nations. President Rodrigo Chaves described Costa Rica as a “bridge” to aid the U.S., noting economic ties, including $100 million in annual assistance. Omer Badilla, deputy minister of the interior, defended the arrangement, asserting no rights violations occurred and that migrants were not detained but processed for repatriation or asylum elsewhere.

The agreement, overseen by the International Organization for Migration, aimed to hold migrants for four to six weeks. However, after 50 days, many remain in limbo, unable to speak Spanish or contact relatives, per the ombudsman’s February report of “visible distress”. Sixteen Chinese nationals have requested asylum in Costa Rica, officials said.

Ian Kysel, a Cornell Law School professor with the litigation council, said the UN panel could issue a directive, though compliance depends on Costa Rica and pressure from treaty signatories. The lawsuit follows a similar case against Panama, which released over 100 deportees after legal action.

Migrants or families facing issues can contact the OIJ at 506-2295-3000.

Trending Now

Costa Rica Hunts for Nicaraguan Hit Squad After Exile’s Assassination

Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) is investigating whether a hit squad tied to Nicaragua’s Ortega-Murillo regime is targeting exiled critics on its soil....

Panama Regains Control of Bocas del Toro After Violent Protests

Panama’s government has regained control of Bocas del Toro province after months of violent anti-government protests sparked by pension reforms, officials announced. The unrest,...

Life After MS-13 in El Salvador as Residents Seek a Fragile Peace

Esperanza Martinez lost three relatives who were murdered and saw numerous bodies left in the streets of her neighborhood, a former stronghold of the...

Hondurans March to Mark 2009 Coup as Election Battle Heats Up

Thousands of government supporters marched Saturday in the capital of Honduras to commemorate the anniversary of the 2009 coup that ousted then-leftist President Manuel...

Honduras Seizes $2 Million, Gold-Plated Pistols in Drug Raid

Honduran authorities struck a blow against drug cartels, seizing over $2 million in cash, war rifles, and flashy gold-plated pistols in Copán, a northwest...

Costa Rica’s Cutris Mining Bill Threatens Massive Environmental Damage

Costa Rica’s government is pushing a controversial bill that could open the entire Cutris district in San Carlos—848 square kilometers—to open-pit gold mining. The...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica