Panton Warns Belize Becoming “Dumping Ground”

Opposition Leader Tracy Panton has strongly criticised the recently signed ‘Safe Third Country’ Agreement between Belize and the United States, warning that it could undermine national sovereignty and overwhelm the country’s limited social systems.

“This agreement… was signed quietly without public consultation, without parliamentary debates, and without full disclosure of its terms,” Panton said during today’s UDP press conference. She added that the lack of transparency “has become regrettably the hallmark of the Bricenio administration.”

The deal, signed on October 20, allows the United States to transfer asylum seekers from Central America (excluding Guatemala) and CARICOM nations to Belize for processing. The government says Belize will have full discretion over who is accepted and that the U.S. will provide financial and technical support.

Panton questioned why the full agreement has not been made public. “The full text of the agreement has not been disclosed… the comprehensive text, including the annexes, transitional arrangements, technical assistance, and cost-sharing commitments, have not been disclosed,” she said.

She also raised doubts about Belize’s capacity to absorb asylum seekers, citing underfunded immigration systems and overstretched social services. “How many asylum seekers will Belize be accommodating? 5,500? 5,000? It’s anybody’s guess,” she said. “We haven’t understood the implications for housing, for healthcare, for education, for legal representation, or integration of these transferees into our Belizean society.”

Panton criticised the lack of consultation with civil society, border communities, and members of parliament. “The people of Belize, you and I, are being asked to trust what we cannot see, what we do not know. And that, my friends, is unacceptable in our democracy.”

Panton argued that Belize is in no position to shoulder such a burden. She said the government should prioritise protecting its own citizens before taking on the problems of others. In her view, the deal risks eroding Belize’s independence and could turn the country into what she described as a “dumping ground” for migrants rejected elsewhere.