Did Belizean Migration to U.S. Contribute to 2023’s Low Murder Count?

Chester Williams

There are reports that more than ninety gang affiliates from Belize City migrated to the U.S.A in 2023 to seek asylum. With the 2023 murder count coming in at a record low, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams was asked if these reported migration played a role in that number decreasing. ComPol Williams says the figure he has for gang affiliates migrating to the U.S. is well below ninety.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“I don’t even know if we have a total of ninety-three Belizeans who would have migrated to the US in 2023. The last I would have checked, I think that our figures was around ten in terms of persons with gang affiliations who migrated to the U.S. seeking asylum and some of them would have been returned back the country. Maybe, perhaps, the person giving you that information is of the belief that Belize is like the U.S where each district is a state and maybe the person migrated from one district to another. So they may think that Dangriga is a state, or Stann Creek District is a state, or Toledo District is a state. I have seen migration yes, out of Belize District to other parts of the country. Maybe they think we are the U.S and we have six states, I don’t know.”