The United States deported a total of 135 migrants from multiple nationalities, including 65 minors, to Costa Rica on Thursday, as confirmed by the Costa Rican government.
The flight, which originated from San Diego, California, touched down at a facility near Juan Santamaria International Airport, where an AFP journalist was present to document the arrival.
Upon landing, the deported individuals were transported by bus from San Jose to a migrant center located roughly 360 kilometers (224 miles) away, near Costa Rica’s border with Panama. From there, they will be repatriated to their respective home countries.
According to Costa Rica’s Deputy Interior Minister, Omer Badilla, all 65 children on the flight were accompanied by a relative, and none of the deportees had a criminal background.
The group was composed of individuals from various countries, including Afghanistan, China, Iran, Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Vietnam, Jordan, Kazakhstan, and Ghana.
Costa Rica, along with Panama and Guatemala, has agreed to accept migrants expelled by the U.S., offering temporary shelter before they are relocated to their home nations or alternative host countries.
This comes just a week after Panama received 299 deported migrants, with around 100 of them being transferred to the San Vicente refugee camp in Meteti, located in the Darien jungle province.
