Moroccans Among 25 Migrants Deported to Costa Rica Under US’ ‘Third-Country’ Policy

Rabat – The US has deported the first group of migrants from different countries, including Morocco, to Costa Rica as part of the controversial “third-country” deportation policy.

Reuters reported that 25 migrants, including citizens from Morocco, Albania, Cameroon, China, Guatemala, Honduras, India, and Kenya, were part of the first group deported on Saturday.

The deportation is part of a controversial agreement signed between the US and Costa Rica in March.

Under the deal, Costa Rica will receive up to 25 migrants per week. The US pledged financial support, while the International Organization for Migration will provide food and accommodation during the first week of the deported migrants’ stay in Costa Rica.

Humanitarian groups and advocates have slammed the US policy under Trump, expressing concerns over legal and ethical issues.

In April, the World organization said the US deported as many as 15,000 people to countries “they are not from.”

“Ranging from Mexico and El Salvador to Eswatini and South Sudan, some 27 countries agreed to take in deported individuals unable to return to their countries of origin,” the report said.

The organization said the US policy received criticism for leaving “deportees in limbo and raising ethical and legal concerns.”

Beyond humanitarian reasons, US Democrats warned that these deportation agreements with foreign governments cost American taxpayers millions of dollars.

A study from Senate Democrats earlier found that over $32 million had been directly allocated to five countries: Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, El Salvador, Eswatini, and Palau.

The report added that the aforementioned countries received about 300 third-country nationals as of January 2026. About 250 of the deported migrants were Venezuelans, sent to El Salvador from the US.

The report highlighted the high cost of deportations, recalling one example of a Jamaican man who was sent to Eswatini at a cost of over $181,000.

The report noted that this occurred despite a US court ruling that the Jamaican migrant should have been returned to his homeland.

“Weeks later he was flown 7,000 miles back to Jamaica, also at US expense,” Reuters said, citing the report from the Senate Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The US has vowed to continue its largest mass deportation campaign, arguing the decision is aimed at freeing up resources and “revitalizing opportunity and restoring safety.”

The deportations come amid frustration over Trump’s migration policies, including Washington’s decision to suspend the DV program in December last year after a mass shooting at Brown University and later the killing of MIT professor Nuno F. Gomes Loureiro.

The shooting triggered a decision from the Department of Homeland Security for an immediate pause on visa issuances and pending applications to conduct a thorough review of security procedures.

Many Moroccan citizens who won the 2026 Diversity Visa expressed concerns over delays in scheduling their interviews.

Last month, a spokesperson from the US Department told Morocco World News (MWN) the Trump administration is “protecting” its nation and citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through its visa process.

The spokesperson backed the US mission in Morocco, stating that it is scheduling DV appointments “in line with its capacity,” and recalled that applicants should regularly check their status on the website for updates on interview scheduling.

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