WASHINGTON — The small Central American nation of Belize has signed an agreement with Washington to act as a "safe third country" for migrants as they seek asylum in the United States.

Belize PM John Antonio Briceño said the deal — which must be approved by the Belize Senate — will mean that migrants deported from the US could apply for asylum instead of returning to their home countries.

The US State Department called it "an important milestone in ending illegal immigration", and "shutting down abuse" of the US asylum system.

The deal appears to be similar to one with Paraguay announced in August.

This year Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Honduras have also taken in people deported by the US.

Human rights groups in the US and abroad have strongly criticised such deals, saying migrants face the risk of being sent to countries where they could be harmed.

Belize's ministry of foreign affairs posted on social media that the agreement "includes strict security measures to protect Belize's national security and sovereignty".

"The Agreement gives Belize full authority to approve or reject transfers, limits eligibility to specific nationalities, and ensures comprehensive background checks, among other measures," it said.

Prime Minister Briceño told local media that for Belize it will be "more like a job programme, whereby people with certain qualifications can come to Belize" and "participate meaningfully in our economy."

He added that the country — which has a population of 417,000 — would prefer to take people from Central America, adding "we're not going to open up to the whole world".

But leader of the opposition, Tracy Taegar Panton, expressed "grave concern" about the deal, saying it "could reshape Belize's immigration and asylum systems, impose new financial burdens on taxpayers, and raise serious questions about national sovereignty and security".

The US State Department posted on X that the agreement was "an important milestone in ending illegal immigration, shutting down abuse of our nation's asylum system, and reinforcing our shared commitment to tackling challenges in our hemisphere together".

Further details of the agreement have not yet been released.

Since the start of his second term, US President Donald Trump has embarked on sweeping efforts to remove undocumented migrants — a key election promise that drew mass support during his campaign.

In June, the US Supreme Court cleared the way for Trump to resume deportations of migrants to countries other than their homeland without giving them the chance to raise any risks they might face with officials. — BBC