A US government agreement with Panama, signed in February, aimed to repatriate over 100 migrants of various nationalities to their countries of origin. The agreement was a one-off deal and it was reported that the US government was in talks with several other countries in Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe to replicate the model.
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the matter, the Trump administration has been in contact with countries such as Libya, Rwanda, Benin, Eswatini, Moldova, Mongolia and Kosovo. The US government has allegedly proposed financial support and political advantages in exchange for the repatriation of migrants.
The report also mentions that the US is planning to hold similar talks with Honduras and Costa Rica in the near future. In February, at least three flights carrying migrants deported from the US arrived in Panama, with 299 individuals from ten different countries, who had been living illegally in the US, according to US authorities.
The idea of mass deportation of migrants was a key campaign promise of US President Donald Trump. In his inaugural address, Trump stated, “We will be taking people out of the country, at a level that’s never been seen before.” Prior to his first term as president, Trump issued an executive order, directing the relevant authorities to remove from the country any foreign nationals who posed a threat.