BELIZE CITY – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has dramatically expanded its operational footprint in Belize over the past eight years, investing nearly six million dollars in comprehensive migration governance programs since 2017. This substantial growth represents a strategic evolution for the UN’s specialized migration agency in the Central American nation.
Establishing its country office in 2010 with minimal staffing and limited programming scope, IOM Belize operated with approximately two personnel throughout its first decade. The operational landscape transformed significantly following 2017 with the initiation of the Western Hemisphere program, which served as a catalyst for expanded migration initiatives throughout the region.
The most pronounced expansion occurred post-2020, during which IOM Belize implemented seven distinct projects designed to strengthen migration management frameworks, enhance institutional capacity building, and bolster community resilience mechanisms. According to Diana Locke, Head of Office for IOM Belize, this period marked a substantial escalation in both programming scope and financial investment in the country’s migration infrastructure.
“From 2020 to December 2025, we have definitively implemented seven projects,” Locke stated. “We have invested a little under six million dollars across all activities, staffing, and operational components.”
The organization’s growing presence in Belize parallels its broader institutional evolution. Initially established in December 1951 to address post-war European displacement, IOM attained formal United Nations agency status in 2016, solidifying its position as the global leader in migration governance. Belize first joined IOM around the year 2000, with the physical country office established a decade later.
Looking forward, IOM Belize continues to prioritize innovative solutions and sustainable strategies for migration governance, building upon its seventy-four years of global expertise in population movement management and humanitarian response.