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Will arrange for return once citizenship verified: MEA on Indians held in Panama
The US is conducting deportation flights to Panama and Costa Rica under a “bridge arrangement” whereby these countries agreed to “serve as transit countries”
New Delhi: Arrangements will be made to bring people deported by the US to Central American nations once their Indian nationality is verified, the external affairs ministry said on Friday as it reiterated New Delhi’s commitment to work with Washington to tackle illegal immigration.
The US deported 299 migrants to Panama this week, while a commercial flight with 135 people landed in Costa Rica on Thursday. About 50 people presumed to be Indians were among those deported to Panama City, and media reports said there were no Indians among those who had so far reached the Costa Rican capital of San Jose.
The Indian embassy in Panama, which is also accredited to Costa Rica, is in touch with local authorities to verify the identity of Indian deportees, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a regular media briefing. “My understanding is that once we are certain that they are Indian nationals, arrangements will be made for them to return home,” he said.
The US is conducting deportation flights to Panama and Costa Rica under a “bridge arrangement” whereby the Central American nations have agreed to “serve as transit countries for deportees while the US bears all the costs of the operation”, Jaiswal said.
“In the case of Panama, we are verifying the details – whether the individuals concerned are Indian nationals or not. Once the verification details are complete, then arrangements will be made for the return of these Indian nationals,” he said without giving further details.
The people deported to Panama have been kept in a hotel and will be provided documents once their nationality is established, he said.
The Indian embassy in Panama said on Thursday that Indian officials had been provided consular access to the deportees. Jaiswal said the Indian side has not yet received any information from Costa Rica regarding the deportations through official channels.
Also read: Over 50 Indians among 299 migrants deported from US to Panama
Jaiswal reiterated the pledge made by India and the US to jointly fight illegal immigration in a joint statement that was issued after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington on February 13. State police forces in India have already made some arrests as part of these efforts, he said.
The joint statement had called for innovative, mutually advantageous and secure mobility frameworks for students and professionals, while “aggressively addressing illegal immigration and human trafficking” through strong action against “bad actors, criminal facilitators, and illegal immigration networks”.
The two sides will strengthen law enforcement cooperation to ensure decisive action against illegal immigration networks and organised crime syndicates, including human traffickers, the statement said.
At the same time, the Indian side has conveyed to the US its concerns about the handling of deportees, including the use of handcuffs and shackles, and called for them to be treated in a humane manner while keeping in mind religious sensitivities. Jaiswal said women and children deported on two US military flights on February 15 and 16 were not shackled in any way.
