Costa Rica said on Monday it was willing to receive migrants from the US who are nationals of other countries. Previously, Panama and Guatemala also offered to do the same.
The country’s presidential office said in a statement that 200 migrants from central Asia and India would be arriving in a commercial flight from the US on Wednesday.
What is the Costa Rica plan?
They will then be moved to the countries of their origin.
“The Government of Costa Rica agreed to collaborate with the US in the repatriation of 200 illegal immigrants to their country. These are people originating from Central Asia and India,” the statement said.
The first set of deportees arriving on Wednesday will be put up in a temporary migrant centre, close to the border with Panama.
The operation will be funded by the US government under the supervision of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
What about Guatemala and Panama?
During US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s tour of Latin America, Panama and Guatemala had agreed a similar arrangement.
No migrants have arrived yet in Guatemala, but Panama received 119 migrants last week, originating from China, Pakistan, Afghanistan and so on.
Throughout his political career, US President Donald Trump has taken a hard stance against migrants. After taking office this January, he vowed to deport “millions and millions” of migrants.
The US had earlier deported more than 300 Indians on three military planes. Images of the deportees in handcuffs caused anger in India.
However, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who met Trump last week, has sided with him on the migration issue.
Modi had also agreed to take back thousands of undocumented migrants living in the US.
