Attachments
Key Figures
1,774 Refugees and asylum-seekers live in Belize, mainly from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala.
200 refugees and asylum-seekers received legal assistance and counselling through UNHCR and partners.
69 Asylum-seekers received cash-based assistance from UNHCR to access health care, documentation, and shelter.
Context
Under Belize’s Comprehensive Regional Protection and Solutions Framework (MIRPS) Pro-Tempore Presidency, UNHCR provides technical and financial assistance in local government meetings, capacity- building sessions, and regional workshops. The Agency supported Belize’s participation in the MIRPS Capacity Development Workshop and the II Cities of Solidarity National Conference, held in Panama and Guatemala, respectively.
Since February, the government has issued permanent residency cards to asylum-seekers who applied through the Amnesty Programme. By the end of the third quarter, Belize had granted Amnesty to some 380 asylum- seekers, and 113 received their IDs with UNHCR’s support.
The U.S. State Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs visited Belize and applauded the country’s leadership on lawful pathways, regularization processes, and temporary work programs, stating that Belize is a best practice in the region