Belize Not Yet Receiving Migrants Under US Safe Third Country Agreement

Reports reaching Love News suggest that preparations may already be underway for Belize to receive an initial group of migrants under the Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States, with indications that international support has been mobilized to assist in the process.  Sources within government have indicated that the United Nations High Commission for Refugees has reportedly secured funding from the United States to support the accommodation of a first round of transferees. However, key details, including the nationalities of those individuals, have not been disclosed.  Today, however, when Love News sought official comment, Minister of Foreign Affairs Francis Fonseca pushed back against the reports, stating that Belize has not yet reached the stage of receiving migrants under the agreement.

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs: “We have not yet finalized any such implementation plan. We’re working on that. So we’re not at that point as yet.”

The Safe Third Country Agreement, signed between Belize and the United States in October 2025, allows for asylum seekers in the U.S. to be transferred to Belize to have their protection claims processed here under defined conditions. Under the arrangement, Belize retains the authority to vet individuals, including security checks, while the United States may provide financial and technical assistance to strengthen Belize’s migration and asylum systems. 

The agreement has been widely viewed as a significant shift in regional migration policy, effectively positioning Belize as a potential host country for certain asylum seekers, though with limits and safeguards expected to guide implementation. We will keep following this story.