BELIZE CITY, Mon. Aug. 3, 2020– On July 30, the International Organization of Migration (IOM) in Belize organized its second humanitarian chartered flight under the Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) program. Fifteen stranded Honduran nationals were taken back home to Honduras, and eighteen Belizeans who were stuck in Honduras were repatriated back to Belize. The IOM staff in Belize has been providing humanitarian assistance to vulnerable groups in Honduras and Belize in the form of medical assistance, lodging, food, and protective gear to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

The Belizeans who returned were examined by the Ministry of Health and placed in a 14-day mandatory quarantine, which is also being supported by IOM Belize. To date, IOM Belize has assisted 50 stranded individuals through the AVR program. The program seeks to give migrants without the means to travel home a safe return to their country of origin.