Belize inks agreement with US to act as ‘safe third country’
(MENAFN) Belize has reached an agreement with the United States to act as a “safe third country” for migrants seeking asylum in the US.
Prime Minister John Antonio Briceño said the deal, which requires approval by the Belizean Senate, would allow migrants deported from the US to apply for asylum in Belize instead of returning to their home countries.
The US State Department described the agreement as “an important milestone in ending illegal immigration,” and praised it for “shutting down abuse” of the US asylum system. Similar arrangements have been made with Paraguay, Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Honduras this year.
Human rights organizations in the US and internationally have criticized such deals, arguing that migrants could face danger if sent to certain countries.
Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on social media that the agreement “includes strict security measures to protect Belize’s national security and sovereignty.” It added: “The Agreement gives Belize full authority to approve or reject transfers, limits eligibility to specific nationalities, and ensures comprehensive background checks, among other measures.”
Prime Minister Briceño told local media that for Belize, the program will function “more like a job programme, whereby people with certain qualifications can come to Belize” and “participate meaningfully in our economy.” He emphasized that the country, with a population of 417,000, prefers migrants from Central America, noting “we're not going to open up to the whole world.”
However, opposition leader Tracy Taegar Panton expressed “grave concern,” warning the deal “could reshape Belize's immigration and asylum systems, impose new financial burdens on taxpayers, and raise serious questions about national sovereignty and security.”
The US State Department reiterated on X that the agreement represents “an important milestone in ending illegal immigration, shutting down abuse of our nation's asylum system, and reinforcing our shared commitment to tackling challenges in our hemisphere together.”
Further specifics of the agreement have not yet been disclosed. Since starting his second term, US President Donald Trump has pursued extensive deportation measures, fulfilling a key campaign promise. In June, the US Supreme Court cleared the way for Trump to resume deportations to countries other than migrants’ homelands without allowing them to raise potential risks with officials.
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