The Congress on Thursday raised concerns over the deportation of 50 Indian nationals to Panama by the United States as part of former President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. The opposition party questioned the handling of the situation, calling the deportations “inhuman and demeaning.”
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took to X, stating, “We would have thought that Indian citizens deported by the Trump Administration would be sent back to India with dignity. Now, reports suggest that more Indians have been deported, but to Panama. What is going on?”
The controversy comes a day after the Indian government assured that it is working closely with Panamanian authorities to ensure the well-being of the deported Indian nationals. The Indian embassy in Panama confirmed that the group is currently housed in a hotel with all essential facilities, and consular access has been granted.
The 50 Indians are part of a larger group of 299 undocumented migrants sent to Panama under an agreement between the US and Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino. Out of this, only 171 have agreed to return to their respective countries, while 98 others have been moved to a camp in Panama’s Darien province.
The migrants include nationals from India, Afghanistan, China, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. Reports from Reuters and AP highlight that some migrants held signs from their hotel windows, reading “Help” and “We are not safe in our country.”