Confusion over Costa Rica’s new agreement with the United States to receive deported migrants grew Tuesday as the director of migration said his office has received no details and holds no implementation plan.
Omer Badilla, head of the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, told lawmakers his agency lacks official information on the pact signed the day before. He said the Migration Directorate is not in charge of coordination and waits for directions from Security Minister Mario Zamora, who President Rodrigo Chaves assigned to lead the effort.
“We have no details at the moment,” Badilla stated. “We are waiting for instructions from above because the president and the minister handled this directly.” The government announced the non-binding agreement Monday after Chaves and president-elect Laura Fernandez met with U.S. envoy Kristi Noem at the Foreign Ministry.
Under the terms, the United States can propose the transfer of up to 25 migrants per week from third countries. Costa Rica retains the right to accept or reject each case individually. The U.S. will cover financial support for their care, while the International Organization for Migration will provide food and housing.
Badilla confirmed the deal does not fall under routine migration procedures. He said his office does not yet know where authorities will house arrivals or how officials will manage their legal status. The announcement comes as the Defensoría de los Habitantes calls on the executive branch to present a full plan before any migrants arrive. The human rights office cited problems from a similar arrangement last year, when Costa Rica received 200 third-country nationals and faced delays in defining their status and providing support.
Badilla said the Migration Directorate will follow whatever instructions come from Zamora. No timeline has emerged for the first transfers or for finalizing procedures. Chaves described the pact as voluntary and within Costa Rica’s human rights framework. Fernandez welcomed the cooperation as a step toward stronger ties with the United States.
Lawmakers from opposition parties questioned the lack of transparency and pressed for details on costs, duration of stays and protections for vulnerable groups. As of Tuesday afternoon, no further updates had emerged from the presidency or the Security Ministry on next steps.
