AMNA NAWAZ: For more on Panama's role in receiving hundreds of migrants the Trump administration has deported, we now turn to Carlos Ruiz-Hernandez.

He's Panama's vice minister for foreign affairs.

Mr. Minister, welcome to the "News Hour."

CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Panama: Thank you, Amna, for having me.

AMNA NAWAZ: Thank you so much for being here.

I just want to ask you to respond to the report there from my colleague William Brangham, and specifically the conditions under which some of those deported migrants say they were being held in Panama, reportedly in hotel rooms, but they say they had their cell phones and passports taken away.

There were armed guards at the doors.

Explain to us why that was necessary.

CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: I mean, it's -- thank you so much.

I think it's a right question to ask, but I think the mischaracterization of how these migrants are being treated is very unfortunate.

The reporting that these migrants are not being treated with the best conditions and with respect to human rights or due process is absolutely inaccurate, because they have access to absolutely everything they need.

IOM is there.

UNHCR is there.

We are there.

They have been provided with absolutely food, water.

This is a four-star hotel in which they have been not detained.

They are being just protected, in which we're processing, helping them go into this transition to head back home.

We are absolutely giving them absolutely everything they need in terms of getting back home.

AMNA NAWAZ: I hear you saying that they're free to leave, but they don't seem to be saying that at all.

We saw those images of people holding up signs in the windows saying, "Please help us."

And they say they had their passports and cell phones taken away.

So where's the mischaracterization here?

CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: The mischaracterization is that they're being held.

I mean, we are -- they are being... (CROSSTALK) AMNA NAWAZ: Are they free to leave?

CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: They are irregular migrants, illegal migrants that are going through a process of repatriation, which is something that we have been working with the United States government in the previous administration.

And we're -- we have done it for years.

And we're -- the name of the policy is deterrence.

So repatriation works for us.

Our government -- this is a policy that our government is pursuing in terms of deterring migrants and bad nonstate actors in other countries who are facilitating migration in any condition.

So we're trying to protect them and we're receiving them and we're facilitating.

We're providing them with all the assistance that they need to just go back home, because they're not in Panama because they want to be in Panama.

CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: They want to be somewhere else, and that somewhere else, it's a close ally of Panama.

And everything migration -- Secretary Rubio was mentioning this.

The previous secretary would have said the same.

AMNA NAWAZ: So, you had a few of them.

They were held there in hotel rooms.

There's also this camp, we understand, in the jungle, in the Darien Gap.

Why is that necessary and how many migrants are held there right now?

CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: It's not that it is necessary.

This is exactly how we handle irregular migrants and illegal migrants that come through our country.

Right now, we had -- last year, we had half-a-million migrants, irregular migrants, coming through this treacherous jungle... CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: ... going through Panama.

And what we have done, we have set up shelters.

We have set up facilities to help them, to give them water, to provide them for -- access to information, biometrics.

We help them just to continue their voyage.

We give them... AMNA NAWAZ: Continue their voyage, meaning not to the U.S. from these camps.

You are working to deport them back to their countries of origin, correct?

CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: Well, the -- that is a very important question.

So, right now, the south-to-north migration is exactly what we have been receiving for all these years.

Now we're seeing a different pattern, and it's brand-new, which is this reverse migration, because of the new policies here in the United States, I'm assuming.

And there's... AMNA NAWAZ: To be clear, this isn't reverse migration.

These are people who are forcibly deported from the U.S. to Panama, correct?

CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: Well, I mean, what's going on here in the U.S., if -- I have heard the word due process.

That due process, it's not my position to opine on what's happening here in the United States.

CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: What we are providing is precisely that, due process; 299 migrants is exactly what we -- the operation we just did; 200 of them, they're voluntary, wanting to go home.

There are a number of migrants that are actually paying for their own costs to go back home.

AMNA NAWAZ: And, otherwise, is the U.S. covering the additional costs, hotels and repatriation flights?

CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: Absolutely.

AMNA NAWAZ: All covered by the United States?

CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: The United States, through IOM and through our international organizations... CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: ... which are set up, and we have been working with them for years, are covering all the costs and everything they need, including if they want refuge or asylum in our country.

They have to go through our due process.

And that's exactly what we have been doing.

AMNA NAWAZ: Can I ask, big picture, why is this something Panama would agree to?

Why is this beneficial for Panama to do this, to accept people deported from the U.S. as essentially a layover and then work to repatriate them to their countries of origin?

CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: Thank you.

I mean, because it's deterrence, because we are -- our president, we came into power about six, seven months ago.

The first day our president came, his migration policy is centered around deterrence.

We were getting 1,000 migrants an hour at some point at the height of the crisis.

Now we have reduced that 93 percent of those migrants coming in.

It's reducing.

And we attribute that to the cooperation we have with the United States and other partners to let the migrants know and the nonstate actors who are helping them to start that voyage, don't come because it's dangerous.

CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: You want to -- you want to -- some of -- we have young girls being sexually abused in this jungle.

We have people that have died.

Don't come here.

AMNA NAWAZ: You're saying it sends a message.

That's the deterrence.

CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: It sends a message.

That is the deterrence that we're trying to protect.

So repatriation is something that it has a lot of benefits for us because we're seeing the numbers going down.

Therefore, the numbers of catastrophe and human disasters is being reduced.

AMNA NAWAZ: What about the people who can't be repatriated?

I mean, are you deporting people to Iran, for example, back to China, if you're worried about human rights abuses back their countries.. CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: We are very -- we are very much worried, and -- exactly, which is -- that's why... AMNA NAWAZ: So what happens to them?

CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: That's why we're talking to them.

We're talking to their families.

We're talking to the diplomatic channels.

We're providing everything they need.

The international standards are being very, very clear.

IOM is there.

The United Nations is there working hand in hand with us.

And that's something we have done for a long time.

AMNA NAWAZ: But there's no answer for them right now?

And you're talking to them, but that... CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: They have to go through a process.

I mean, this happened, I think it was February the 12th or 13th.

CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: We received three flights with a specific number.

It's not meant to be institutionalized at this point in terms of receiving migrants, because we have been receiving irregular illegal migrants for a long time.

CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: So, at this stage, we want to keep -- continue working with the United States.

There has been no pressure from the U.S. government to receive them or process them.

This is just something that we have been trying to do.

And, again, the mischaracterization is very unfortunate that this picture when with the sign of "Help us," because the help is the - - I think that they want, and I haven't interviewed them myself, is the one thing that we cannot give them, which is a green card.

AMNA NAWAZ: Right.

CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: That's the one thing, that's the help that we cannot give.

But we're there to... AMNA NAWAZ: Yes, if I may, because I know our time here is limited, you mentioned there's no pressure.

I'm sure, as you're well aware, we heard from President Trump many times... AMNA NAWAZ: ... before he even came back into office about this plan to retake control of the Panama Canal.

He's posted about it, and he's spoken about it.

He mentioned it in his inauguration speech.

I know you have said, your president has said there was no quid pro quo here, but he has stopped talking about it since Panama began accepting deported migrants.

So you can see how it looks like there was a deal cut here, right?

CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: There was no deal.

I mean, in fact, I think the -- two days ago, three days ago, on Friday, he mentioned it again in terms of -- I think he said something at the Republican governors dinner.

AMNA NAWAZ: Reclaiming the Panama Canal.

CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: He said -- oh, he was -- he mentioned a few things.

But the point is, there was no deal.

This is a policy that we have been pursuing way before the new president here in the United States was even elected.

We have been collaborating with the United States... CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: ... in absolutely everything we can, because, again, this is about deterrence.

This is about treating these poor people humanitarianly, reducing the risk of death in a lot of cases.

We are providing them with psychological help, with medical help, absolutely everything they need.

This is a four-star hotel, for example, in which they have everything they need in terms of assistance.

If they -- again, our government is providing them the opportunity to get asylum, refugee, but they -- I mean, 99.99 percent of the people that come to Panama illegally or irregularly, they don't stay in Panama.

They don't want to stay in my country.

AMNA NAWAZ: They're on their way somewhere else.

CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: But there are - - they're always somewhere else, and that's why my president's determined to reduce the number of risks for them.

AMNA NAWAZ: Panama's Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Carlos Ruiz-Hernandez.

Mr. Minister, thank you for being here.

CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: Thank you very much.

AMNA NAWAZ: Appreciate your time.

CARLOS RUIZ-HERNANDEZ: Appreciate it.

Thank you so much.