PANAMA CITY — Afghan migrants deported from the United States to Panama say they feel stranded and uncertain about their next steps, lacking the resources or legal pathways to move forward.
Over the weekend, Panamanian authorities issued temporary permits to the deportees, allowing them to remain in the country while they determine their next course of action. Many had previously refused repatriation from the U.S. and were initially housed in a shelter within the remote Darién Gap jungle before being relocated to Panama City.
The group includes migrants from Afghanistan and Cameroon, many of whom say they are unable to leave Panama due to a lack of financial resources, legal documentation, or security assurances to return to their home countries.
“I don’t know what to do,” said Hayatullah Omagh, an Afghan deportee, as quoted by Reuters. “All the money I had, I spent on the way. When I arrived in the United States, I had nothing. I don’t have more money. I cannot go anywhere. I’m here and I don’t have any plans for now.”
Omagh also noted that travel options are extremely limited for Afghans. “I cannot even go from Panama City to other provinces—how can I go to another country?” he said. “With an Afghan passport, you cannot travel without a visa. We have no other options.”
Humanitarian organizations, including Fe y Alegría and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), are providing shelter, food, and legal counseling to the deportees.
Panama has an agreement with the United States to receive third-country migrants deported from the U.S. The country is then responsible for either repatriating them to their home countries or helping facilitate resettlement elsewhere.
The situation is part of the Trump administration’s broader policy of increasing migrant deportations, which has left many stranded in transit nations without clear paths forward.
