Russian, Sri Lankan, Afghan, and Iranian migrants who were recently expelled from the United States to Panama have spoken out, stating that they refuse to be repatriated to their home countries, where they fear they will face systematic attacks and persecution. Many of these individuals belong to marginalized groups. Their stories are marked by the struggles of being caught between borders and uncertain futures.

While some of these migrants are living on the streets in Panama, others are housed in a hotel, where they are left to navigate their bleak circumstances. Despite their precarious situation, the Panamanian government has given them a mere 90 days to decide their next steps. In this time, they have found little to no assistance from local authorities, leaving them in a state of limbo. Without a clear path forward, they are left to grapple with the harsh reality of being stranded in a foreign country, unable to return to their homes or find refuge elsewhere.

These migrants are part of a larger group of more than 300 individuals who were deported from the United States, a situation that gained international attention when they protested from the windows of the hotel where they were being held. Their protest was a desperate cry for help, as they claimed they were being treated as prisoners in a foreign land, with no legal recourse or protection.

The world has watched as these migrants, fleeing persecution in their homelands, now find themselves in a new kind of danger—one that threatens to leave them voiceless and forgotten in Panama.