Transferred Asylum Seekers Face Uncertain Futures

The debate over the Safe Third Country Agreement has largely focused on who Belize is allowing in. But less has been said about what awaits asylum seekers once they arrive. Foreign Affairs CEO Oscar Arnold says they cannot immediately start working or permanently settle here. Instead, they must navigate a United Nations-managed process that could stretch on for years.

 

Oscar Arnold, CEO, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

“So the United Nations High Commission for Refugees becomes very important then. They have the funding, they have the mechanism in place to receive these individuals, process them and then assimilate them int Belizean society. There’s also written into the agreement that in the event, these funds are not sufficient, the host country can make a request on the US government to say what other funds do you have available for this type of program because A,B,C,D, and that’s also an option that is available to the host.”

 

Sabreena Daly

“Are these individuals going straight into working in Belize?”

 

Oscar Arnold

“No, the UNHCR receives them first as refugees because many of them are asylum seekers so they are treated as asylum seekers for whatever reason if you didn’t want to be sent back to your country and you are integrated into this program. And so they fall under that asylum seeker status and then they are processed through that and that is a process that can take anywhere from months to years before they are assimilated one hundred percent into Belizean society.”

 

Arnold also explained that the asylum seekers are vetted prior to arrival for age, criminal history, and health condition as to not burden Belizean society.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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