Costa Rica Receives First Group of Deported Migrants under Third-Country Agreement with the U.S.

• Costa Rica, on Saturday, April 11, 2026, received the first group of migrants from other countries deported from the ​United States (U.S.) under an agreement signed in March between ‌the two countries.
• Costa Rica's General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners said the 25 migrants included citizens of Albania, Cameroon, China, Guatemala, Honduras, ​India, Kenya and Morocco. Under the agreement, Costa Rica will ​receive up to 25 people per week, while the United States will provide financial support, and the IOM (International Organisation for Migration) will offer food and accommodation during the ​first seven days of migrants' stay in the country.
• The agreement is ​part of U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to ramp up his mass deportation ‌program, ⁠including removing immigrants to third countries that are not their country of origin. The administration has said that such third-country deportations are necessary to remove people whose home countries refuse to accept ​them. But these deportations ​have faced criticism ⁠from Democrats and human rights advocates for stranding migrants in countries far from their homelands, where ​they often don't speak the language or have any ​family ⁠
• In February, Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee released a report that said the deportation agreements with foreign governments cost American taxpayers millions ⁠of ​dollars, at times more than $1Mn per ​person shipped out of the country, and produce little benefit.
• Furthermore, while the agreement may strengthen diplomatic ties with the United States, it could potentially weaken Costa Rica’s tourism-dependent economy and dampen broader economic growth if negative perceptions, media coverage, or social pressures reduce its appeal to international visitors.
• That said, this risk is set against a still-stable macroeconomic outlook, as BMI analysts forecast real GDP growth in Costa Rica of 3.9% for 2026, following a 4.6% expansion in 2025. This slight slowdown is more in line with the pre-pandemic long-term run rate of 3.8% real growth, suggesting a normalisation of growth rather than a sharp downturn.

(Sources: Reuters, NCBCM Research, BMI - A Fitch Solutions Company)