Migrants stranded at Costa Rica-Panama border

Dozens of migrants, mostly Venezuelans, who find themselves in limbo due to evolving immigration policies, are stuck in the Costa Rica-Panama border, with many demanding permission for free transit through Panama in hopes of returning to their homeland.

The migrants, who previously attempted to reach the United States, were deterred from trying after the tightening of immigration policies by the Trump administration, which includes the shutdown of the CBP One program and deportations.

In their attempt to return home, a previous group of migrants, mostly Venezuelans, who had tried to cross into Panama were stopped by Panamanian officials and returned to Costa Rica, according to Panamanian media.

Daniela Romero is among the trapped migrants who had their hopes of reaching the U.S. suddenly dashed and now attempts to go back to her hometown in Venezuela.

"We did not make it, and well, here we are, wanting to return to our country and asking the authorities and everyone to help us," she said.

Currently, neither Panama nor Costa Rica maintains diplomatic relations with Venezuela. This diplomatic void makes it difficult to organize the deportations of the stranded Venezuelans.

Nevertheless, authorities from Panama and Costa Rica agreed to transfer reverse flow migrants to shelters at the borders to be “subsequently repatriated by air or sea to their countries of origin, in coordination with the memorandum of understanding signed with the United States,” according to a statement from the Ministry of Public Security of Panama.

The alternative, returning to Venezuela on foot through Panama, would force many migrants to traverse the Darien Gap, a notorious stretch of the Panamanian jungle. Migrants have reported experiencing robberies, violence, and sexual assaults in this perilous area.