The Belize Foreign Minister has said the country would refuse to accept asylum seekers sent by the UK, calling the Home Office’s deportation scheme inhumane and illegal.
Eamon Courtenay said on Twitter that Belize was not in negotiations with Britain to become an offshore processing site for asylum seekers.
British authorities plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, but the scheme has faced legal challenges.
Reports suggest UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman is considering alternative destinations, including Paraguay, Peru and Belize.
Mr Courtney said Belize was not in negotiations with the UK "or any other country" to accept asylum seekers.
"We will not agree to accept exported migrants. That is inhumane and contrary to international law," he said.
Belize, in Central America, gained independence from the UK in 1981, but remains a member of the Commonwealth.
Mr Courtney’s criticism of the policy comes after Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama accused Britain of becoming a “madhouse” during a migration crisis caused by “failed policies”.
Britain on Thursday also sought to defuse a row with Tirana after Prime Minister Edi Rama accused it of blaming Albanians for causing its immigration problems.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly held talks with Mr Rama in London and tweeted late Wednesday that they had "an important meeting".
"We agree that we must break the business model of people smugglers who are putting lives at risk," he added.
In April, Priti Patel, UK home secretary at the time, signed what she described as a “world-first agreement” to deport some asylum seekers to Rwanda.
As part of the deal, the UK paid Rwanda £120 million ($134.7m), but the first scheduled deportation in June was grounded after several legal challenges were brought against the government.
In September, a five-day judicial was held to assesses the lawfulness of the policy.
Ms Braverman has now pushed for talks to expand the policy to countries in Central and South America, with another African country “also in the mix”, The Daily Express reported.
She is under mounting pressure to tackle the migrant crisis as the government faces legal action over an asylum centre in southern England condemned by senior MPs.
On Tuesday, asylum seekers from a processing centre in Manston were left at London’s Victoria Coach Station without accommodation.
They were among hundreds thought to have been moved from the Manston site, a disused airfield, amid concerns it was dangerously overcrowded.
The number of migrants who have used small boats to cross the Channel to the UK this year is approaching 40,000.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
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McIlroy's struggles in 2016/17
European Tour: 6 events, 16 rounds, 5 cuts, 0 wins, 3 top-10s, 4 top-25s, 72,5567 points, ranked 16th
PGA Tour: 8 events, 26 rounds, 6 cuts, 0 wins, 4 top-10s, 5 top-25s, 526 points, ranked 71st
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
