Honduras says not considering safe third country migration deal with U.S.

Honduras is not considering a so-called safe third country designation for migrants seeking refuge in the United States, Foreign Minister Lisandro Rosales said late on Monday, denying reports of a deal agreed with U.S. officials. The United States has persuaded neighboring Guatemala to become a safe third country that would accept U.S.-bound asylum seekers, part of a larger effort by President Donald Trump to reduce the flow of migrants.

The deal has yet to be ratified by Guatemala's government. A safe third country designation would require asylum seekers to apply for protection in any legally-designated "safe" country they pass through before reaching the United States.

U.S. authorities have said they were working with Honduras on a similar deal, but Rosales said no such agreement is in the works. "Contrary to some publications, the talks with the United States do not contemplate that Honduras become a safe third country," the minister wrote in a post on Twitter. Rosales added that the talks are instead focused on regional security, promoting investment and orderly migration.