SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica — Migrants held at a government-run center in southern Costa Rica have expressed growing frustration over their treatment and the lack of transparency from immigration authorities, saying they are being denied basic freedoms and adequate responses to their concerns.
The Temporary Attention Center for Migrants, known by its Spanish acronym CATEM, is located near the Panamanian border and began housing deportees in early February under an agreement between the Costa Rican and United States governments. The deal, reached amid Washington’s efforts to expand multinational deportation partnerships, allows Costa Rica to temporarily receive up to 200 migrants who were deported from the United States.
Among those detained is Alireza Salimivir, a migrant from Iran, who described the conditions as restrictive and emotionally taxing. “It’s like a cage,” he told Reuters. Mr. Salimivir said Costa Rican immigration officials confiscated his passport upon arrival and have not provided a clear explanation or timeline for its return. “I asked them, ‘Can I have my passport?’ They told me, ‘No.’ I don’t know why,” he said.
Human rights advocates have voiced concern over the detentions, questioning the legality and ethics of holding migrants who have not been charged with crimes in Costa Rica. Mauricio Herrera, a local activist, argued that the migrants should be granted freedom of movement. “These individuals are under Costa Rican jurisdiction,” he said. “They have not broken any laws.”
The detainees come from a broad range of countries, including Uzbekistan, China, Armenia, Turkey, Afghanistan, Russia, Georgia, Vietnam, Azerbaijan, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan and Ghana. Many arrived in the Americas seeking asylum or refuge from political instability, economic hardship, or conflict in their home countries.
The Costa Rican government has not publicly addressed the specific complaints raised by migrants at the facility. Immigration officials have emphasized that the arrangement with the United States is temporary and subject to international standards, though details remain limited.
The policy reflects a broader trend in U.S. immigration enforcement, in which deportation flights have increasingly relied on agreements with third countries to share the burden of migration management. The approach has drawn criticism from human rights organizations, who warn of inadequate oversight and the potential for abuse in facilities that fall outside U.S. jurisdiction.
As of this week, the situation at CATEM remains unresolved. Migrants like Mr. Salimivir continue to wait — for answers, for documents, and for the freedom they say they were promised.
