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So, for clarification, on last week Thursday, we asked Beverly Castillo, the new Minister responsible for the Immigration Department, about daily influx of persons at the Help for Progress Office. Here's what she had to say on the topic, which up until last week, had not been discussed publicly before.

Reporter
"Do we already know how many refugees are currently in Belize?"

Hon. Beverly Castillo, Minister Responsible for Immigration
"I am pretty sure that we do not have the precise number and that's the reason for reactivate the Refugee Committee to look at those and that is why you see an influx into the office for the applications. The office last year - was reactivated earlier this year and so that is now where you see the influx."

Reporter
"How exactly do you vet these people? How exactly do you determine that these are refugees, because refugees carries a specific classification and definition - its people who come here needing assistance leaving their motherland because they are under threat or whatever reason."

Hon. Beverly Castillo, Minister Responsible for Immigration
"Well they come into Belize, because they are looking for better livelihood and they are here. Maybe they have no status at this time and that's what they are seeking - status, to be regularize under the refugee program that is. The check and balance comes with the processes in determine how they got here, what is their current status and there are many other things internally. So the Help for Progress will be able to give you those guidelines and I am pretty certain within immigration, because it's a dual function and within immigration we do our checks and balances to ensure that they do qualified after registering with the refugee department."

Reporter
"Up to now, how many refugees have been registered and approved to stay in Belize and since when did this registration actually start?"

Hon. Beverly Castillo, Minister Responsible for Immigration
"The refugee registration started a few months ago. We have received applications of about 700 persons that already resided in Belize. Those are being reviewed. I am pretty certain we have not approved any of those as yet."

Reporter
"What are they indicating as explanation for why they deserve refugee status? I would imagine these are people who have been here for decades. How does someone like that who has been living in Belize, as you say they do not necessarily have their status, but using this program to get to stay in Belize."

Hon. Beverly Castillo, Minister Responsible for Immigration
"I believe persons flee for various reasons, they want to improve livelihood, some people are at risk; prosecution, domestic abuse, victimization in whatever form and so they come. May not have been able to process initially and for reasons of fear they would hide away. But now that we have the reactivation of the committee, this is an opportune time for them to regularize their status."

According to Castillo, there may be some confusion between Belize's Refugee Committee application process which has reportedly received about 700 applications, and a proposed program called the Refugee Protection Transfer.

That program has been presented by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to the Barrow Administration. The organization wants to use Belize as a temporary transfer station for Salvadorans seeking refugee status in the US. The Prime Minister told the press last week Thursday that this UNHCR Program still needs public consultation to be approved.

So, at this time, even though the Help For Progress Office still gets a lot of persons visiting it, as seen here, no one is supposed to have any refugee status approved as yet in Belize.