by Nuri Muhammad

Tuesday, June 24, 2025 at 5:12 p.m.

I am just completing a three-week visit to the United States, where I had the opportunity to spend time with a number of Belizeans in the so-called diaspora. That brief experience reinforced in my mind the critical importance of engaging our brothers and sisters abroad in the national and international development of Belize. We have to aggressively break the gravitational pull of our xenophobic fears—the idea that nothing outside of Belize should concern us, not even our own people. Belizeans abroad are a wealth of talent, experience, and resources waiting to be tapped. But, as was the case with the stone that the builders rejected, we have not moved strategically to engage them.

The question must be asked: why is Belize, unlike so many countries in Central America, the Caribbean and Africa, not doing more to meaningfully incorporate its diaspora in our development strategies—whether in the economy, governance, education, or even crime prevention and rehabilitation? While other nations with similar or fewer resources are creating pathways to mobilize their global citizens, Belize remains hesitant and inconsistent. Why?

The answer, uncomfortable though it may be, lies in the demographic and political shifts unfolding right here at home. According to the 2022 census, Mestizos (so-called Spanish) now make up over 52% of Belize’s population, while the Black population—Creoles and Garinagu combined—has dropped to below 30%. This is a dramatic shift from the 1970s, when Creoles alone made up close to 60% of the national population. But over the past four decades, migration, lower birth rates, and the active export of skilled Black labor to the U.S., U.K., and Canada have shrunk this segment. Meanwhile, immigration policies have opened wide the gates to incoming Central American nationals, primarily of Mestizo heritage. Could it be that some in leadership are happy to see that ethnic shift, having no problem with a reduction of Black Belizeans in our population?

Not only have these migrants been welcomed, they’ve been incentivized. Government policies have offered free land, free healthcare, free education, and amnesty programs that provide a fast track to citizenship. These are generous offerings—especially in a country with already stretched resources. Yet, while these benefits are made available to newcomers with no historical or cultural ties to Belize, the same energy and political will have not been directed toward reconnecting with our own Black Belizean family living abroad.

It’s important to understand the scale of that diaspora. Conservative estimates suggest that between 100,000 and 160,000 Belizeans live in the United States alone, with smaller but significant communities in the United Kingdom and Canada. That means nearly one in three Belizeans now lives outside the country. And the majority of them are Black—Creoles and Garinagu, who left during waves of political upheaval, economic stagnation, and social exclusion in the 1970s through the 1990s. Yet, to this day, they remain deeply connected to Belize—emotionally, culturally, and financially—sending remittances, visiting home, and supporting relatives. Still, they are being treated like outsiders.

The upcoming Diaspora Summit scheduled for July 2025 in Florida was intended to build on the momentum of the first summit, held in Los Angeles in 2024. That inaugural event saw strong participation from the Government of Belize, including several ministers and even a keynote address from the Prime Minister himself. It was a symbolic and hopeful gesture—a recognition that the diaspora mattered. But that hope appears to be fading. Reports suggest that the response to this second summit has been lukewarm at best. Some organizers have expressed frustration at the lack of coordination and interest, particularly from the Consulate in Florida, and it appears that senior government figures are noticeably absent this time around. Could it be that Donald Trump’s insane immigration policy has run a “yellow streak” through this administration? 

This kind of disengagement is not just disappointing—it is short-sighted. Belize is facing significant challenges on multiple fronts: rising crime, struggling public services, a fragile economy, and widespread youth disillusionment. These are the very kinds of problems that can be addressed—at least in part—by leveraging the knowledge, capital, networks, and lived experience of Belizeans abroad. Many of them are professionals, educators, businesspeople, former public servants, and cultural ambassadors. They have not abandoned Belize. In fact, they represent Belize wherever they go.

Other countries have figured this out. Across Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, governments are creating structures—diaspora bonds, dual citizenship laws, investment forums, and policy advisory councils—to ensure their citizens abroad are part of the national fabric. They see their diaspora as an asset, not a threat. Meanwhile, Belize’s lack of a coherent or sustained diaspora strategy feels like a missed opportunity, and in some ways, a self-inflicted wound.

Let’s be clear: this is not about turning our backs on immigrants or those who come to Belize seeking a better life. (So, don’t curse me as “anti-Spanish”; I have Mestizo in my family.) This is about inclusion, fairness, and balance. If we are willing to allocate land, health services, and political consideration to those who arrive from across our borders, then surely, we can do the same for those who were born here and still consider Belize their home, even from abroad.

As the next Diaspora Summit approaches, we must confront this uncomfortable reality. We cannot continue to ignore the contributions and potential of our global Belizean family. Their absence from national planning is not because they are unwilling—it is because they have not been invited with genuine sincerity, or engaged with consistency.

The time has come to change that. Not with speeches, but with strategies. Not with one-time gestures, but with sustained policy. If we are serious about national development, we must be serious about involving all Belizeans—no matter where they live.

Let us not be the builders who reject the very stones that could strengthen our foundation.