Costa Rica welcomes second group of US expelled migrants
Costa Rica welcomed a second group of migrants expelled from the United States on Friday as part of an agreement to support the latest policy of the Trump administration to deport immigrants to “third countries”.
Under a bilateral agreement signed in March by Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves and US special envoy Kristi Noem, Costa Rica agreed to receive up to 25 third-country nationals expelled from the United States each week.
The first group of 25 expellees, who arrived at the Juan Santamaria International Airport in San Jose on Saturday, was assisted by Costa Rican migration police in coordination with the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
A second group of expellees from the United States, originating from third countries, arrived in Costa Rica on Friday. This group of thirty people includes eight Costa Ricans, eight Brazilians, three Romanians, two Chinese nationals, three Uzbeks, two Azerbaijanis, one Irish, one Indian, one Vietnamese, and one Belarusian.
Like the group that arrived on Saturday, these individuals will be offered the opportunity to participate in the Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) program managed by the IOM to go back to their home country, or apply for a residence permit in Costa Rica under humanitarian categories through the standard procedure.
This Central American country is among a growing number of African and American countries that have signed controversial, often secretive, agreements with the United States to accept expellees from other countries, as President Donald Trump pressures governments to assist in advancing his program.
In many cases, migrants who had hoped to seek asylum in the United States find themselves in a legal “black hole” in foreign countries where they do not speak the language.
Countries that have agreed to accommodate third-country migrants include South Sudan, Honduras, Rwanda, Guyana, and several Caribbean islands such as Dominica and St. Kitts and Nevis.
The first group sent to Costa Rica included migrants from Albania, Kenya, Morocco, China, India, and Cameroon, as well as eight individuals from Guatemala and four from Honduras.
Expelled individuals are first taken to a hotel to receive assistance. During their first seven days in Costa Rica, they have the opportunity to enroll in a voluntary return program. They can also choose to stay in Costa Rica under a temporary migration program or apply for refugee status.
If the expellees choose to leave Costa Rica, they must inform local immigration authorities and specify whether they will need humanitarian assistance to depart or if they will cover the cost of the trip themselves.
[Context: Costa Rica is receiving expelled migrants from the US as part of an agreement with the Trump administration.] [Fact Check: The article was credited to The Associated Press, a reputable news agency.]
