State Dept Inks Belize Safe-Third-Country Deal To Transfer U.S. Asylum Seekers

The U.S. State Department and Belize signed a Safe Third Country agreement that would allow certain asylum seekers in the U.S. to be transferred to Belize to pursue their claims. Belize says it retains a veto over transfers, can cap numbers, restrict by nationality, and will apply security screenings. The deal follows similar 2025 pacts and third-country deportation arrangements with Paraguay, Eswatini, Rwanda and South Sudan, signaling a broader strategy to expand removal destinations and deter illegal crossings. Belize’s opposition warns the country lacks capacity; the pact requires Belizean Senate ratification and would last at least two years unless ended earlier.