Belize Signs US “Safe Third Country” Deal for Migrants

Belize has signed an agreement with Washington to act as a “safe third country” for migrants seeking asylum in the United States. Prime Minister John Antonio Briceño explained that the deal — which still requires approval by the Belize Senate — will allow migrants deported from the US to apply for asylum in Belize instead of returning to their home countries.

The BBC in London has reported that the US State Department described the agreement as “an important milestone in ending illegal immigration” and “shutting down abuse” of the US asylum system. The report noted that the arrangement appears similar to one announced with Paraguay in August, and follows other agreements made this year with Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Honduras, all of which have accepted people deported by the United States.

However, human rights groups in the US and abroad have sharply criticised such deals, arguing that they put migrants at risk of being sent to countries where they could face persecution or harm.

Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on social media that the agreement “includes strict security measures to protect Belize's national security and sovereignty.” The ministry added that the deal “gives Belize full authority to approve or reject transfers, limits eligibility to specific nationalities, and ensures comprehensive background checks, among other measures.”

In an interview with local media, Prime Minister Briceño explained that the arrangement would 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 just 417,000, would prefer to accept migrants from Central America, saying, “we're not going to open up to the whole world.”

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Tracy Taegar Panton voiced “grave concern” about the deal, warning that it could “reshape Belize's immigration and asylum systems, impose new financial burdens on taxpayers, and raise serious questions about national sovereignty and security.”

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the US State Department stressed that the agreement marks “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.”