Costa Rican Ombudsman Angie Cruickshank Lambert has identified several shortcomings in the treatment of 135 foreign nationals deported from the United States who arrived in the country last week.

The Costa Rican Ombudsman’s Office is responsible for investigating complaints about government actions and ensuring that government activities serve the best interests of citizens.

The first group of 135 migrants, from countries including Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Ghana, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam, arrived at Juan Santamaría International Airport in Alajuela Province last week on a flight operated by Alaska Airlines and funded by the U.S. government.

According to the Ombudsman’s Office, upon arrival, the deported individuals were transported by three buses to the Temporary Migrant Care Center (Catem) in Corredores Canton, Puntarenas Province.

There, they were interviewed with the help of translators provided by the International Organization for Migration, as they did not speak Spanish.

Among the deportees were babies, children, women, elderly individuals, pregnant women, and men. Many sought assistance in contacting their families to inform them of their whereabouts.

For the children, authorities provided basic hygiene supplies such as toiletries, food (including bottled water, sandwiches, apples, and pastries), formula milk, sanitary pads, coloring books, and crayons. The buses were equipped with restrooms and air conditioning.

However, the Ombudsman’s Office identified multiple failures in the care provided. Among the concerns noted:

There was no suitable place at the airport to accommodate the deportees upon arrival. "From the moment the aircraft landed, following a flight of more than four hours, they were immediately transferred to buses for a land journey of approximately six to seven hours to Catem," the Ombudsman’s report stated.

Authorities failed to provide deportees with adequate information upon arrival. Many reported not knowing their destination, the migration procedures they would undergo, or details about their transfer, which heightened their anxiety and uncertainty.

Deportees requested the opportunity to communicate with their families and sought support to do so. They also inquired about how long they would remain in Costa Rica.

Some individuals stated they had been stripped of their identification documents and passports, making it difficult for authorities to verify family connections.

The Ombudsman criticized the lack of appropriate care for minors. "Children are being subjected to an unjust process. After enduring a flight of more than four hours, they were immediately transferred to another form of transportation," the report stated.

No representatives from government institutions were present to assist women or elderly individuals.

No individualized medical attention was provided to identify specific health needs among the deportees.

Regarding reports that some deportees had been handcuffed during the flight, the Ombudsman’s Office stated that some men had marks on their bodies, which they claimed resulted from being restrained.

The report also noted that some individuals required psychological support, but no psychological first aid was provided. Additionally, no medical staff were present on the buses transporting them to the migrant center.

The Ombudsman has urged the Costa Rican government to ensure that when these individuals are returned to their home countries, they are not subjected to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.

Several of the deportees expressed a reluctance to return to their home countries due to ongoing conflict, according to the Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman called on the government to guarantee the fundamental rights of these individuals.

President Rodrigo Chaves-Robles said the deportees would remain in Costa Rica for up to six weeks while their repatriation procedures are processed.

The U.S. government will cover maintenance costs for the deportees, with oversight from the International Organization for Migration.

Costa Rica is the third Central American country to accept deportees from the United States, following similar agreements reached with Panama and Guatemala during U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent Latin American tour.

In early February, Rubio addressed key regional issues during his visit to Costa Rica, including international aid, migration, drug trafficking, cybercrime, and China’s growing regional influence.

The United States has an estimated 11 million undocumented migrants, most of whom are from Latin America.

On his first day in office, former U.S. President Donald Trump declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border and vowed to deport "millions and millions" of migrants.