Attachments
Key Figures
184 refugees and asylum-seekers from 19 countries are under UNHCR’s mandate.
50 per cent lack legal status in the country, and 39 per cent are women and children.
65 refugees need resettlement. Most are from Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, Haiti, Sudan, and Yemen.
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.