Belize Receives Funding Under New Biometric Data Sharing Agreement

Belize has received approximately $250,000 in biometric equipment from the US under a new Biometric Data Sharing Partnership (BDSP) with the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The package includes fingerprint-based enrolment systems and document readers at Belize’s international airport and major land border crossings, enabling officers to capture biometric identifiers and query DHS identity databases in real time ¹.

DHS says the BDSP enables ‘real-time exchange and query of biometric and biographic information’ to strengthen border management and public security, effectively extending US watchlist and identity-screening capabilities to Belizean ports of entry. In line with similar DHS arrangements elsewhere in Latin America and the Caribbean, the partnership is presented as a way to bolster the vetting of high-risk travellers.