The Senate met today in Belmopan to consider several bills and loan motions that were passed in the House of Representatives on Friday.
But, unlike the Friday Meeting, which lasted for 8 hours and 10 minutes, today's Senate Meeting clocked in at a little less than half that time. Yet, that compact discussion still had several dense topics with robust debate from all parties represented in the Senate.
We start our coverage first with today's discussion on the Briceno Government's amendment to the Nationality Act to allow for its flagship amnesty program.
Government estimates that as many as 40,000 persons currently living without permanent immigration status in Belize could qualify. That's 10% of the population and here's what the Leader of Government business - who is also the Minister of Immigration had to say on the topic:
Eamon Courtenay - Leader of Government Business
"Madam President, I rise to move the second reading of a bill for an act amended Belizean Nationality Act, Chapter 161 of the substantive laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2020, to provide for an amnesty program for irregular migrants and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. Madam President, senators would be familiar with this issue because last year I made a ministerial statement on this issue where the government had decided to grant an amnesty, and we have twice discussed it in the budget debate, for example. The position, as articulated by the Government, is as follows. There are tens of thousands of persons in Belize who have either come here irregularly or came here regularly and have become irregular. These persons are in Belize and, for all intents and purposes, have made Belize their home. However, they remain irregular. Like in any country, they are fearful of coming to the Immigration Department to seek to regularize their status. They are fearful that if they do so, they would be arrested, deported, arrested, and charged - suffer some consequence, fined perhaps. The Ministry of Immigration, beginning on July 1st, went online and started taking appointments. We are, I believe, on the 18th of July, and these are the records. Simply persons taking appointments, the Cayo District: 1,586; the Belize
District: 635; the Toledo District: 612; the Stann Creek District: 309; the Orange Walk District: 182. the Corozal District: 44. That's a total, Madam President, of 3,125 appointments, in addition to which there are 1627 minors, for a grand total of 4752 people who, up to today, have sought appointments to apply under the amnesty program."
Kevin Herrera - Business Senator
"We're certainly in support of the bill, Madam President. I think that it's a good initiative."
Janelle Chanona - NGO Senator
"Good morning, we also rise in support of this motion, and I also echo the thanks for the consultations prior. I think they were very helpful to the overall review of this bill, in addition to the comments made earlier on this."
