Costa Rica on Saturday received its first flight carrying 25 migrants deported from the United States, marking the start of a new bilateral agreement that could allow the individuals to obtain temporary legal status in the country.

According to the General Directorate of Migration (DGME), the migrants arrived from San Diego, California, and landed at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in Alajuela province, under a memorandum of understanding signed in March between Costa Rica and the United States.

The agreement allows Costa Rica to receive undocumented immigrants deported from the U.S., with an estimated 25 migrants expected to arrive each week.

Authorities said the migrants will remain in government custody for one week. After that period, they may choose from several options to stay legally in Costa Rica under a temporary humanitarian migration regularization program.

The group includes nationals from Albania (one woman), Cameroon (two men and two women), China (two men), Guatemala (five men and three women), Honduras (two men and two women), India (three men), Kenya (one woman), and Morocco (two men).

As part of the agreement, Costa Rica waived visa requirements for the migrants. They also received assistance from the Professional Migration Police and representatives of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Authorities emphasized that none of the migrants poses a security risk.  “None of them have pending criminal charges or any links to terrorism,” officials said.

Under the agreement, the United States will cover transportation costs, while the International Organization for Migration will fund housing and food expenses.

The arrangement stems from the Shield of the Americas Summit held in March in the United States. The broader regional pact outlines a series of actions aimed at strengthening cooperation among Latin American countries to combat organized crime.

As part of broader efforts to combat crime, Costa Rica extradited in March two of its own citizens to the United States on drug trafficking charges, marking the first time the country has sent nationals abroad to face criminal prosecution.

In March, the United States assisted Costa Rica with a large-scale deportation operation under the Costa Rica Deportation Assistance Pilot program, or CDAP, involving dozens of foreign nationals convicted of crimes or wanted internationally.

In February 2025, Costa Rica agreed to receive about 200 undocumented immigrants deported from the United States. Most remained in the country for up to six weeks before being repatriated.

The DGME, Costa Rica’s official immigration authority, oversees visas, residency, work permits, and other processes related to the rights of foreigners living in the country.

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