Migrants, Including Christian Converts, Face Uncertain Future After U.S. Deportation
In a significant development, Christian converts from Islam find themselves among migrants deported from the United States to Panama, as reported by The New York Times. These migrants, originating from countries known for hostility towards Christianity, are initially sent to Panama, where their future remains uncertain.
Among the deportees are at least 10 Christians from Iran, joining over 100 individuals from nations such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, and Uzbekistan, all of which rank on Open Doors’ World Watch List for countries where Christians face significant danger. Iran, particularly, is notorious for punishing apostasy under Islamic law, ranking ninth on the list.
Upon arrival in Panama City, these migrants, including a 27-year-old Iranian Christian woman, found themselves confined in the Decapolis Hotel Panama, along with approximately 340 others recently deported from the U.S. Desperate for outside intervention, the woman reportedly wrote “Help us” on a hotel window using lipstick, as chronicled by The Times.
Their passports confiscated and phones largely taken, the migrants are under strict surveillance, unable to seek legal assistance. The Iranian woman shared a troubling account of a fellow deportee attempting suicide and another injuring himself in an escape attempt.
Panama’s deputy foreign minister, Carlos Ruiz-Hernández, confirmed to The Times that none of the detainees have criminal records. Despite this, the complexity of their situation looms large as they await possible deportation to their countries of origin.
The Iranian woman, aware of potential deportation policies under then-incoming President Trump, hoped her conversion to Christianity and clean record would secure her stay. Her journey to the U.S. involved a precarious border crossing facilitated by a smuggler, costing her $3,000. She expressed a poignant sentiment to The Times: “Only a miracle can save us.”
Another Iranian convert recounted the distress faced during deportation, with her son witnessing his parents in shackles. Her husband provided reassurance, recalling, “Jesus has said, ‘If you don’t take your eyes off me, I won’t take mine off you.’”
Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, stated that none of the migrants expressed fear of returning to their home countries during processing, as reported by The Times.
Panama’s temporary housing of the deportees follows a request from the U.S. administration, amidst reported pressure concerning the Panama Canal. This situation places Panama at the center of handling the migrants’ fate, as highlighted by The Times.
Legal experts in Panama point out that detentions beyond 24 hours without a court order breach legal protocols. The deportees are expected to be relocated to a camp in the Darién Gap, according to Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino.
Ruiz-Hernández described Panama as a “leader and strategic partner in migration management,” asserting that an agreement with the U.S. upholds human rights. Meanwhile, the U.N.’s International Organization of Migration, although overseeing deportees, clarified it does not partake in their detention.
As Panama works through this diplomatic challenge, Costa Rica has also stepped forward to accept deportees, marking what Muzaffar Chishti of the Migration Policy Institute calls a “totally new era” in U.S. deportation policy.
According to The Times, Panama’s plan involves returning individuals to their home countries, though the feasibility of such actions remains uncertain.
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
