El Salvador deportations surge while Honduras asylum requests rise

In the first quarter of 2026, El Salvador recorded 5,351 deportations, a 90.2% increase over the same period in 2025, with deportations from the United States almost doubling. Overall, 16,051 Salvadorans were deported in 2025, up 7.1% from the previous year.

UNHCR data show that in 2025, 262,913 Hondurans were abroad needing international protection, including 94,449 recognized refugees and 168,464 asylum seekers—more than five times the figure a decade earlier. Honduras also saw 716 asylum applications from foreign nationals, quadrupling prior levels, with 270 of those applicants now recognized as refugees.

Both countries face growing pressures from migration flows, reflecting broader regional shifts in displacement, asylum, and return dynamics.