Panama City, AP: After facing criticism and lawsuits, Panama released dozens of migrants held in a remote camp after being deported from the U.S. The migrants were given 30 days to leave Panama, leaving them in legal limbo. The deportees were largely from Asian countries and had been part of a deal between the Trump administration and Panama and Costa Rica to speed up deportations. Critics expressed concerns over human rights violations as the deportees were held in poor conditions, denied access to legal counsel, and stripped of their phones. Advocates scrambled to find shelter and resources for the released migrants, many of whom had no clear path forward. Despite being deported, some migrants expressed a desire to continue their journey to the U.S. underlining the difficult circumstances they faced at home. Human rights groups warned that Panama and Costa Rica were becoming “black holes” for deportees and criticized the lack of access to medical care in detention. Among the released migrants, at least three required immediate medical attention. One migrant had been vomiting for over a week while another had diabetes and no access to insulin. Desperate for asylum, Omagh, an Afghan refugee, was denied the chance to seek asylum in the U.S. and now faces an uncertain future as he cannot return to Afghanistan under Taliban rule. The release of migrants was seen as a way for Panamanian authorities to distance themselves from mounting criticism over their handling of deportees.
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