Panama has transferred about one-third of the deportees from various nations it had received from the United States to a camp in its Darien province Wednesday, an area that became the main thoroughfare for migrants traveling from South America to the U.

The migrants refused to be repatriated to their countries. They will be held in a migration facility near the Darien Gap along the Colombian border until third countries can be found to take them.

Panama is detaining in a hotel nearly 300 people from various countries deported by the United States, not allowing them to leave while waiting for international authorities to organize a return to their countries.