Panama has transferred 98 migrants deported from the United States to a camp in the Darien province, a region that has become a key migration route from South America to the U.S. border in recent years. The group, made up primarily of Asian and Middle Eastern nationals, refused to return to their home countries voluntarily and will remain in Darien until alternative destinations can be arranged, a Panamanian government official confirmed on Wednesday.
The 98 individuals are part of a larger group of 299 migrants sent to Panama under an agreement with the U.S. government, as President Donald Trump’s administration accelerates deportations. While 171 migrants have agreed to return to their home countries, arrangements for their travel are still being finalized. One Irish citizen has already been repatriated, officials said.
The remaining deportees are currently being held under police guard at a hotel in Panama City as they await travel arrangements. While the Panamanian government insists they are not detained, authorities have restricted their movement.
Earlier on Wednesday, a Chinese woman escaped from the hotel but was later recaptured near a migrant processing center close to the Panama-Costa Rica border. Security Minister Frank Abrego blamed human traffickers for aiding her brief escape.
For now, those who refused voluntary repatriation face uncertainty in Darien, where they will stay until a third country agrees to take them. The heavily forested Darien Gap, a treacherous corridor linking Colombia and Panama, has become a major passage for thousands of migrants seeking to reach the U.S. in recent years.
Panama’s role in temporarily housing these migrants reflects the complex international negotiations surrounding deportations, as the U.S. struggles to return individuals to countries that are often unwilling to take them back.