Approximately a week after the United States transferred around 300 migrants from various countries to Panama via military deportation flights, Panamanian officials announced on Tuesday that over 170 individuals have expressed their willingness to return to their home nations.

These migrants, who crossed the U.S. border illegally, hail from nations primarily in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, many of which either refuse to accept deportation flights or do so only infrequently. The Trump administration has been advocating for countries in Latin America to accept these migrants as the U.S. intensifies its deportation efforts amid stricter immigration policies. So far, only Panama and Costa Rica are reported to have accepted such migrants.

In Panama, the migrants are currently housed in a high-rise, glass-encased downtown facility known as the Decapolis Hotel Panama. Journalists from The New York Times have managed to interview several individuals there, including migrants from Iran and China, who have shared that they fled their home countries due to threats to their safety.

According to Panama’s Security Minister, Frank Ábrego, around 150 migrants who have not opted for deportation will be moved from the hotel to a camp near the jungle area called the Darién Gap. He explained in a press briefing that the migrants would stay at the San Vicente camp until they are offered asylum in a third country “where they feel secure.”

Mr. Ábrego noted that no individuals had filed for asylum in Panama.

Panamanian authorities have barred the deportees from leaving the hotel premises, and attorney Jenny Soto Fernández, who aims to represent several migrants, reported that access has been denied to her on at least four occasions.

In an interview, Ms. Soto revealed that multiple migrants from Iran have approached her for assistance with their requests for refugee status in Panama. She stated, “I have all the necessary legal paperwork ready,” but lamented that she still hasn’t been able to reach the individuals in need of help.