- Title: Uncertainty engulfs migrants at Costa Rica migrant center
- Date: 1st April 2025
- Summary: PUNTARENAS, COSTA RICA (MARCH 31, 2025) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS SEEN THROUGH FENCE VARIOUS OF PEOPLE AROUND FACILITIES AT CATEM (TEMPORARY MIGRANT CARE CENTER) (SOUNDBITE) (Uzbek) UZBEK MIGRANT, MAMATKUOV ZAFAR, SAYING (APPROXIMATE TRANSLATION ONLY FROM UZBEK TO ENGLISH. FULL TRANSLATION TO FOLLOW): "Everything is fine here, but when someone else decides your fate yo
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: Costa Rica Russia Uzbekistan migrant center migrants
- Location: PUNTARENAS, COSTA RICA
- City: PUNTARENAS, COSTA RICA
- Country: Costa Rica
- Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,South America / Central America,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001315031032025RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: APPROXIMATE TRANSLATIONS ONLY FROM UZBEK AND ARMENIAN TO ENGLISH IN SHOTS 3 AND 6. FULL TRANSLATIONS TO FOLLOW.
Migrants held in a Costa Rica migrant center face uncertainty and made pleas to return to the U.S. on Monday (March 31).
Since early February, Costa Rica expected to receive migrants from other nations deported by the U.S. as part of a deal with Washington to temporarily house up to 200 deportees and pushed by the threat of U.S. tariffs on Costa Rican goods.
Migrants landing in Costa Rica are being held at the Temporary Attention Center for Migrants (CATEM), located in the southern zone, near the Panamanian border.
The deportations are part of U.S. President Donald Trump's crackdown on unlawful migration which includes a growing number of flights to nations cooperating with him on the multinational repatriations.
The country has received migrants from countries such as Uzbekistan, China, Armenia, Turkey, Afghanistan, Russia, Georgia, Vietnam, Azerbaijan, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan and Ghana.
Uzbek migrant Mamatkuov Zafar said he didn't know how long he'd be held at the center. Meanwhile, Armenian migrant Armine Margaryan voiced her fears of being deported to Armenia, where according to her, her family faces "political persecution."
At the center, migrant children held up a sign asking for help to return to the U.S..
Omer Badillo of the Migration Directorate told Reuters that migrants are not being held at the centre while reporting that six migrants escaped from it, three Afghans, two Indians and a Pakistani. Alerts were issued so that in case they are located by the Costa Rican police, they are transferred back to CATEM.
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