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Melona: Eritrean asylum seeker deported to Panama instead of granted refuge

Melona, an Eritrean asylum seeker, was deported to Panama, a country where she has no ties or language, and held in a hotel with hundreds of other migrants without explanation.

Apr 1, 2026Country of origin: Eritrea

Melona: Eritrean asylum seeker deported to Panama instead of granted refuge
Photo via Quixote Center

Melona fled Eritrea and sought asylum in the United States but was deported to Panama under a formal U.S. government agreement, a country where she has no ties and speaks no language. She was held in a hotel with hundreds of other migrants and asylum seekers without explanation or information about her future. The U.S. government is conducting deportation flights to Panama and Costa Rica as part of formal policy agreements. Melona's case represents a systemic pattern rather than an isolated incident.

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