BELMOPAN, Belize, CMC – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) says it will make available US$600,000 to the International Office of Migration (IOM) in Belize.
It said the funds are granted to provide migrants with greater access to healthcare education and to improve their overall livelihood.
“Belize is not alone in facing these challenges. For many years, the U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, has been a strong partner of Belize and its people, and this inter-agency delegation is a reflection of our continued commitment,” said Mileydi Guilarte, USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator, who was part of a U.S. delegation visiting the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.
She said USAID has been proud to support the Belize government in implementing its amnesty program, allowing migrants residing in Belize to obtain legal status and access to a pathway to citizenship.
“As we collectively address historic levels of displacement and evolving migration flows in the region, initiatives like this are critical. I am pleased to announce US$600,000, which is BDZ$1.2 million, in additional funds for the International Office of Migration to continue supporting the important work in Belize, coordinating closely with key government counterparts in migrants hosting districts from San Pedro to Valley of Peace and to Punta Gorda and beyond.”
She said providing legal status is crucially important and that the “support will continue to help migrants to integrate into host communities, access healthcare, enroll their children in school, and learn English in a second language, as a second language.
“Giving migrants the opportunities and tools to build livelihoods in their new communities benefits the entire region,” Guilarte said.
Last year, the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration contributed five million U.S. dollars to Belize through its international partners. Most of the funds went to support the government with the amnesty program.
The authorities said an estimated 12,000 migrants have applied under the amnesty program to regularize their status, noting that as many as 40,000 migrants are resident here.
Guilarte told reporters she does not view the amnesty program as a failure.
“We had very fruitful conversations yesterday with the foreign minister and the Prime Minister (John Briceno), and we noted and underscored the importance of Belize being a partner in this shared challenge in the region regarding migration.
“And I think Belize, and we communicated this, has become a model in our region for looking for all types of solutions to integrate migrants, so looking at sustainable solutions. And I think this is definitely, it’s in the beginning stages.
“We’re trying to identify gaps and challenges where we can assist. I think the announcement that I made today is in support of that. So no, I would not say that it is in any way a failure, but something that a lot of the neighbors in the region should see as a model for looking at how to solve some of the challenges related to migration,” she added.
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