Cuban migrants are not the only ones trying to cross through Central America on their way to the United States. On Friday morning over 200 African illegal aliens were returned to Panama, but then they forced their way back into Costa Rican territory.
The African migrants were first intercepted on Thursday at Costa Rica's northern border with Nicaragua, where they closed down a road in protest because they were not allowed to enter Nicaragua to continue their journey to the U.S. On Friday morning they were bussed to the southern border to be returned to Panama, from where they had presumably crossed into Costa Rica days earlier. However, Panama also did not let them pass. This left the African aliens in the border zone between the two countries, from where they forced their way back into Costa Rica.
A spokesperson for Costa Rica's Ministry of Public Security explained, ''[the African migrants] are at the southern border on the Costa Rican side, we have them guarded by Fuerza Publica, border police, and police intervention units."
Costa Rica has reinforced police presence at the border.
Additionally, on Wednesday Costa Rica's Foreign Ministry announced that over a thousand illegal aliens, the majority Cuban migrants along with some African migrants, forcefully and violently crossed the Costa Rican southern border with Panama. Then they blocked the road in front of the immigration facilities. After the migrants damaged a car and confronted the police, some were returned to Panamanian territory, but some were able to move further into Costa Rica and are being searched for by authorities. These events are akin to the protests and riots in the Balkans Peninsula, where migrants have confronted Greek authorities at the northern border with Macedonia, as they try to make their way into northern Europe.
During the press conference Costa Rica's Foreign Minister continuously pointed to U.S. immigration policies as the principal magnet for the wave of illegal immigration with which Central America is dealing.