A group of prominent lawyers initiates legal action against the Panamanian government for alleged human rights violations concerning migrants deported under the Trump administration.
Lawsuit Filed Against Panama Over Treatment of Deported Migrants
Lawsuit Filed Against Panama Over Treatment of Deported Migrants
Legal experts challenge detention policies affecting Trump deportees in Latin America.
A coalition of leading attorneys has recently lodged a lawsuit against the government of Panama, challenging its treatment of migrants deported from the United States as part of a policy initiated during Donald Trump's presidency. This legal action aims to scrutinize the new approach of sending migrants to Central American nations, asserting violations of human rights.
The suit has been filed with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and cites ten Iranian Christian converts who have faced detention alongside a total of 102 migrants at a makeshift camp positioned in a remote Panamanian jungle. The plaintiffs assert that the Trump administration compromised their right to asylum, given their faces persecution based on religion, and claim that Panama has violated both domestic and international laws, particularly the American Convention on Human Rights.
While the lawsuit targets Panama, one of the lawyers involved expressed intentions to pursue a separate complaint directed at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in the coming week. Responding to inquiries, Panamanian spokesperson Astrid Salazar maintained that the migrants are not under governmental detention, suggesting they are being managed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
However, reports indicate that the migrants are situated within a secure area overseen by armed officers from the Panamanian police, with the Ministry of Security controlling access. Both IOM and UNHCR have clarified that they are not directly responsible for the migrants' accommodation but do provide limited humanitarian assistance such as food funding.
The suit has been filed with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and cites ten Iranian Christian converts who have faced detention alongside a total of 102 migrants at a makeshift camp positioned in a remote Panamanian jungle. The plaintiffs assert that the Trump administration compromised their right to asylum, given their faces persecution based on religion, and claim that Panama has violated both domestic and international laws, particularly the American Convention on Human Rights.
While the lawsuit targets Panama, one of the lawyers involved expressed intentions to pursue a separate complaint directed at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in the coming week. Responding to inquiries, Panamanian spokesperson Astrid Salazar maintained that the migrants are not under governmental detention, suggesting they are being managed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
However, reports indicate that the migrants are situated within a secure area overseen by armed officers from the Panamanian police, with the Ministry of Security controlling access. Both IOM and UNHCR have clarified that they are not directly responsible for the migrants' accommodation but do provide limited humanitarian assistance such as food funding.
