More Than 2,300 Refugees Now Living in Belize

More than 2,300 refugees and asylum-seekers are now living in Belize, most of them having fled violence and instability in nearby Central American countries.

Recent figures show 2,361 refugees and asylum-seekers in the country, mainly from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. Between October and December 2025, the Refugees Department registered 45 new asylum-seekers, while 58 people received legal assistance and counselling through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Belize has long offered protection to people fleeing their home countries. As a member of the 1951 Refugee Convention, the country operates under the Refugees Act, which sets out its national framework for refugee protection.

UNHCR works closely with the government to strengthen the asylum system, improve access to rights, and promote integration. That support includes funding technical assistance and training for staff at the Refugees Department and the Refugee Eligibility Committee.

The agency also pushes for legal changes to reduce the risk of “statelessness” and works with ministries to ensure refugees can access basic national services.