When I hear the word Colombia all I can think about is a drug war. This would be the answer for many refugees leaving Colombia and seeking refuge in Panama. In recent years many people have fled during the fighting between guerilla, paramilitaries and the Colombian government. Panama was not thrilled to see these refugees at their doorstep but they had granted a few Colombian asylum seekers full refugee status, but granted more than 900 Temporary Humanitarian Status, according to the article. .
Starting last July, Panamanian and Colombian government officials met with a number of refugees in Jaque, Panama. This meeting was more a slap in the face to the people from Colombia. The Panama government was urging them to return to their homes in Colombia. They lied to them and told them that Colombia was now safe and assured it was secure enough for them to return home. Skeptical refugees did not believe these government officials and refused to sign a voluntary repatriation form. Repatriation is when refugees are sent back to their country of birth. This however was not the last the Colombians were going to hear from the Panamanian government. .
Later this same year 2002, officials from Panama actually visited the homes of many refugees and reportedly pressured them into signing the voluntary repatriation forms. Most of the Colombians signed the forms only because they were threatened into signing them. All of them said that they were "afraid" to return to their homeland because it is not safe. The people who signed were promised that they could take all of their belonging with them. The ones who did not were just going to be deported without anything. In April 2003, "Panama forcibly repatriated more than 100 Colombian refugees, including some with THS. The (USCR) or U.S. Committee for Refugees however was not too happy about this and made it quite clear that they better not let it happen again.
