SYDNEY, Australia — The refugees and asylum seekers had been waiting in the detention camp in the hope of a fresh start in Australia, or perhaps some other country. But on Monday, some of the residents said, they were told to prepare for a different outcome — the imminent shutdown of the camp.

Parts of the center, on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea, will close in weeks, according to the detainees, who said they had been told of the decision at a meeting on Monday. The rest of the compound, which was financed by the Australian government, will shut down later this year.

“You cannot stay at the regional processing center,” an official said in a recording first obtained by the Australian news media. “You need to consider your options. No one will be resettled in Australia.”

Asylum seekers and refugees have been sent to the island, in northern Papua New Guinea, as part of an agreement between the country and Australia. Under the deal, which has been condemned by human rights groups and the United Nations, people who tried to reach Australia by boat were placed in the detention center as their refugee claims were being considered.