A family member has been put on a removal flight. You want to know what happens when the plane lands in Guatemala City: who meets them, what papers they get, and where they can go next. Flights from the US arrive at a reception center run by Guatemala’s migration institute (IGM) in zone 13. Several agencies work there. A reintegration programme, the Plan Retorno al Hogar, starts at the door. Everything below comes from IGM, RENAP and the government’s official newspaper.
Quick summary: US deportation flights are received at the Centro de Recepción de Retornados (CRR), Avenida Hincapié 11-66, zone 13. IGM runs a second CRR in Tecún Umán, San Marcos. IGM registers each person and assesses urgent needs. Returnees get medical and psychosocial care if needed and a snack (refacción). SOSEP handles families, and PGN and SBS handle children. RENAP has a desk on site for certifications and DPI, and a returnee can get the DPI free and with priority at any RENAP office using the IGM contraseña. For help after arrival: IGM WhatsApp 4214-3566, call center 2411-2412. 39,243 people returned from the US and Mexico between 1 January and 31 July 2026.
Checked 23 September 2026. IGM has not posted a 2026 statistics file, so the 2026 figures below are those IGM gave to the official newspaper. Procedures change; call IGM before travelling to meet someone.
The three centers, in order
IGM runs three centers for returned Guatemalans. It lists them on its protection portal:
| Center | What IGM says it is for | Address (as published by IGM) |
|---|---|---|
| CRR — Centro de Recepción de Retornados | “Primer punto de contacto con las personas guatemaltecas migrantes retornadas, donde se realiza su recepción, registro y una primera valoración de sus necesidades inmediatas.” | Avenida Hincapié 11-66, Guatemala City (zone 13) |
| CAR — Centro de Atención y Registro | Reintegration: “el espacio para ofrecer oportunidades laborales, de capacitación, certificación, acceso a la salud, educación, atención psicosocial y alimentación.” | FEGUA facilities, 10 Avenida and 21 Calle, zone 1 |
| CAM — Centro de Atención al Migrante | “Centro destinado como un resguardo temporal para las personas guatemaltecas migrantes retornadas.” | Albergue Migración CAMIEX-IGM, 35 Avenida 23-61, zone 5 |
Going to the CAR is voluntary: “Aquellas personas que voluntariamente se integran al plan son trasladadas al Centro de Atención y Registro”.
At the reception center: who does what
IGM coordinates the reception. It names the institutions working with it at the CRRs:
| Who | Role at reception (per IGM, February 2026) |
|---|---|
| IGM | Coordinates; migration registration, initial interview, detection of urgent health, protection and documentation needs |
| CONAMIGUA, Ministry of Health (MSPAS), Ministry of Labor (MINTRAB) | Care for adults, with international organizations |
| PGN (Procuraduría General de la Nación) and SBS (Secretaría de Bienestar Social) | Protection of children and adolescents |
| SOSEP | Family units: “garantizando su reunificación y apoyo inicial” |
| RENAP | Certifications and DPI applications at the Air Force facilities |
On arrival, according to IGM, returnees “reciben atención médica y psicosocial —a quienes así lo requieren—, así como una refacción digna”. In 2025, the government’s official newspaper described the reception like this: “Cada conciudadano deportado vía aérea es apoyado en el Centro de Recepción de Retornados, ubicado en la zona 13 de la ciudad de Guatemala, donde se les brinda ayuda inmediata que incluye evaluación médica y psicológica, apoyo en la gestión de documentos personales y entrega de kits de higiene y vestuario.”
IGM also says everyone is told about the reintegration programme: “Al llegar al país, toda la población migrante retornada recibe información detallada sobre las oportunidades de reintegración disponibles.” Service is offered in Mayan languages at the CRR, the call center and the CAR. By 19 February 2026, IGM counted 3,762 of 8,733 returnees as belonging to an Indigenous language community.
Papers: the deportation sheet, the contraseña and the DPI
RENAP’s page for returnees answers the practical question:
- On site: “El RENAP, en las instalaciones de Fuerza Aérea Guatemalteca, ofrece servicios de emisión de certificaciones y trámites para la emisión del DPI”
- Later, anywhere in the country: people who do not apply at the Air Force facilities “pueden presentarse a cualquiera de las oficinas del Registro Nacional de las Personas -RENAP- a nivel nacional con la contraseña que le fue entregada por el personal del Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración -IGM- y se atenderá de forma prioritaria y gratuita.”
Keep the contraseña that IGM hands out. It is what gets priority, free service at RENAP. To speed up the DPI, RENAP asks for:
| Document | RENAP’s wording |
|---|---|
| Deportation sheet or sworn statement | “Fotocopia de la hoja de deportación o declaración jurada notarial.” |
| Request letter | “Solicitud de agilización (carta de solicitud).” |
| Form | “Formulario entregado en ventanilla de DAMSE o por el registrador civil de la oficina de RENAP.” |
| Old DPI data (if any) | “Fotocopia de la hoja de datos del DPI, cuando el usuario cuente con ésta.” |
RENAP’s call center is 1516 within Guatemala, and +502 2416-1900 from abroad. For a DPI replacement requested from the USA before someone travels, see replacing a lost DPI from the USA.
After the airport: Plan Retorno al Hogar
The Plan Retorno al Hogar is the government’s reintegration programme. IGM says it serves people who are “retornadas, deportadas, o que regresan voluntariamente al país.” Per IGM: “El Plan Retorno al Hogar inició sus operaciones en marzo 2025. Durante el periódo marzo-diciembre 2025 atendió a mas de 55,200 personas guatemaltecas migrantes retornadas.”
What IGM lists under the plan:
- Document help: “acompañamiento en la gestión de documentos personales, tales como antecedentes penales y policíacos, licencias de conducir y elaboración de currículum vitae”. For the records themselves, see criminal record certificate and police record certificate.
- Skills certification: “certificación de habilidades y competencias adquiridas en el extranjero”. IGM reports certifications delivered with the Ministry of Education.
- Referrals: “Derivación especializada a educación, empleo, emprendimiento, vivienda, salud y apoyo psicosocial.”
- Follow-up: a call center and a WhatsApp channel for orientation and case follow-up.
IGM contact for the plan: “El Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración te atenderá vía WhatsApp al 4214-3566 y vía call center al 2411-2412.”
The numbers
IGM gives figures in press releases and posts annual files. The latest file on its statistics page covers 2025:
| Period | Returnees | Transport | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan – 11 Dec 2025, air, from the US | 44,856 (39,234 men, 4,429 women, 719 boys, 474 girls) | Air | IGM statistics file |
| 1 Jan – 22 Feb 2026, from the US | 8,656 | 80 flights | IGM, 25 Feb 2026 |
| 1 Jan – 31 Jul 2026, from the US and Mexico | 39,243 | 332 flights and 285 buses | Diario de Centro América citing IGM, 16 Aug 2026 |
| Jan – Jul 2026, family units supported by SOSEP at the CRR | 374 family units | — | Same |
In 2025 the monthly count of air returns from the US rose from 3,334 in January to 5,540 in October (IGM file). IGM said the 5,094 people returned in January 2026 had “un promedio de edad de 24 años”.
If you are the family: what is and is not published
- Published: the CRR address, the IGM WhatsApp and call-center numbers, the RENAP DPI route, and the CAM temporary shelter.
- Not published by IGM: a procedure for relatives to meet someone at the CRR (waiting area, hours, ID). We found no official instructions, so call 2411-2412 or message 4214-3566 before you go.
- If you cannot locate someone: IGM’s homepage links a mechanism to search for missing migrants.
Related guides
- Returning to Guatemala checklist: for planned returns
- TPS and Guatemalans · US immigrant visa pause
- Poder consular: if someone in the US must handle property or accounts for the returnee
- IGM hub
Primary sources
- IGM — Plan Retorno al Hogar and the CRR, CAR and CAM centers
- IGM — Statistics page and 2025 air returns from the US (PDF)
- IGM news 2026 — institutions at the reception centers, reception with dignity, the CRR and reintegration, January 2026 returnee profile, service in Mayan languages
- RENAP — Guatemaltecos retornados
- Diario de Centro América — 39,243 returnees, January–July 2026 and IGM assistance at the CRR (2025)
More for Guatemalans in the United States: diaspora hub
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do deportation flights from the United States arrive in Guatemala?
At the Centro de Recepción de Retornados (CRR) run by the Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración, on Avenida Hincapié 11-66 in zone 13 of Guatemala City. IGM describes it as the first point of contact, where each returnee is received and registered and their immediate needs are assessed. IGM also runs a second CRR in Tecún Umán, San Marcos.
What do returnees receive when they land?
IGM says returnees receive medical and psychosocial care for those who need it and a snack (refacción) on arrival, plus information about the Plan Retorno al Hogar reintegration programme. Guatemala’s official newspaper reported in 2025 that air deportees also get help with personal documents and hygiene and clothing kits. RENAP has a desk at the Air Force facilities that issues certifications and takes DPI applications.
Can a deported person get a DPI for free?
RENAP says returnees who do not apply for their DPI at the Air Force facilities can go to any RENAP office nationwide with the contraseña (receipt) that IGM staff gave them, and will be served with priority and free of charge. To speed up the DPI, RENAP asks for a copy of the deportation sheet or a notarial sworn declaration, a request letter, the form given at the DAMSE window or by the civil registrar, and a copy of the DPI data sheet if the person has one.
How can family in the US or Guatemala get information about a returnee?
IGM publishes a WhatsApp line (4214-3566) and a call center (2411-2412) for the Plan Retorno al Hogar. IGM also links a missing-migrant search mechanism from its homepage. IGM does not publish a procedure for how relatives meet someone at the reception center, so call those lines before travelling.
How many Guatemalans were deported in 2026?
The official newspaper Diario de Centro América, citing IGM, reported that 39,243 Guatemalans returned from the United States and Mexico between 1 January and 31 July 2026, on 332 flights and 285 buses. IGM’s latest posted statistics file, for air returns from the US from 1 January to 11 December 2025, counts 44,856 people.
Is there a place to stay after arrival?
IGM lists a Centro de Atención al Migrante (CAM) as a temporary shelter for returned Guatemalans, at the Albergue Migración CAMIEX-IGM, 35 Avenida 23-61, zone 5. The Centro de Atención y Registro (CAR) in zone 1 handles reintegration: jobs, training, certification, health, education, psychosocial care and food.
