And in other immigration news, last night we gave you some insight on the new border cards for Guatemalan students that have been implemented at the Benque Viejo border. The initiative is expected to expedite the crossing process for students, making movement more efficient. Today the minister explained why they decided to implement the border cards.
Kareem Musa, Minister of Immigration
"So the border crossing card is a new concept. We recently introduced it first at the Guatemalan border but as you know it is only being utilized for the children who come across for school every single day. And let me make this very clear, they come across every single day acknowledging Belize is a separate country and I think we have to accept that. This is perhaps one of those phenomenas that you look at and say this is what Belize is all about welcoming others to our country, they are not getting any residence, they are not getting any immigration status, but merely to go to school and they have to pay their way in the institutions. And from the information I have gathered and again this is something that has been taking place for decades but perhaps something that we are now highlighting they come to Belize primarily to learn the English language because when they go back to whether it is Flores, Peten or if it is in Melchior they use the English language in tourism in commerce in trade and so it is a benefit to them to learn English and they come and they sing our Belizean national anthem and they form relationships with our Belizean children. And that is the kind of relationship that we want to encourage with Guatemala, not war, not fighting the way that they have been aggressing us in the Sarstoon. And this is the kind of relationship, sisterly relationship that we want to create with Guatemala but in terms of the border crossing card it is something that is now streamlined on our side of the border I know that officials out diplomats in Guatemala our Belizean ambassador is working on their side to have it accepted, the Belizean card by the Guatemalan government and so you might notice that only the children from Guatemala are using the border crossing card because it is accepted on our side and on their side they just accept the children back because they are Guatemalan but in terms of the adults crossing they still use the old fold out border crossing document which is stamped each time and it takes a very lengthy period for them to go over."
