Costa Rica’s government announced on Monday (February 17th) that it will receive illegal immigrants from other countries who have been deported from the United States. Following Panama and Guatemala, Costa Rica has become the third Central American country to assist in the deportation of foreign illegal immigrants by the United States.
In a statement released on February 17th, the Costa Rican President’s Office stated that the government has agreed to assist the United States in deporting 200 illegal immigrants from Central Asia and India back to their home countries.
The first group of deportees is expected to arrive in Costa Rica on Wednesday via a commercial flight from the United States, and they will then be transferred to a temporary immigration care center near the border with Panama.
The statement mentioned that the costs associated with the deportation operation will be fully covered by the U.S. government and will be carried out under the supervision of international immigration organizations.
During a recent trip to Central America, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached agreements with Panama and Guatemala on similar deportation plans for illegal immigrants.
Panama has already received the first deportation flight sent by the United States last week, carrying 119 illegal immigrants from China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other countries. As of now, no immigrants have been deported to Guatemala.
The United States is home to approximately 11 million illegal immigrants, with the majority coming from Latin America.
Since taking office on January 20th, President Trump has tightened U.S. immigration and border policies, declaring a state of emergency at the southern border to fulfill his campaign promises for his second term in office.
(Reference from Voice of America)