And one other major announcement coming out of Cabinet is that - as the Prime Minister alluded to us yesterday - Haitians entering Belize most now have a visitors visa. Previously, as CARICOM Nationals, that was not required and they got an automatic 6 month stay. But due to the persistence of smuggling operations through Belize, Government has been forced to change the policy.
But, it's not only Haitians; Jamaicans entering Belize will have to show evidence of fully paid non-refundable hotel reservations prior to boarding flights to Belize.
That's a major shift - especially since there are so many Jamaicans living in Belize who have relatives that visit. Yesterday in the Senate, the Minister of Immigration explained why it is necessary:
Eamon Courtenay, Min. of Immigration
"January, 2022 to March, 2023: 2095 Haitians came in those 15 months, not even completed. 14 plus months. 2095, claiming to come to Belize with return tickets. Claiming to be genuine tourists. Claiming to have hotel reservations. Of that 2095, one hundred and twenty one have left through the P G I A. They have not left to the northern border exit point. They have not left through the western border exit point. Where are they, Madam President? I want to be clear, any Haitian who has a legitimate interest in coming to Belize for work or pleasure will be granted a visa to come to Belize."
"January, 2022 to March, 2024: 1,673 Jamaicans entered through the P G I A. Of that amount, 778 departed, leaving 895 Jamaicans who have not exited through the northern border point of exit, or the western border point of exit. Based on intelligence, based on reports from friendly countries, we have very good reason to believe that these persons have moved outside of Belize through illegal, unofficial points of entry. Why the difference in a policy between the Haitians and the Jamaicans? First of all, the numbers are significantly different."
"We monitor on a daily basis, and I can tell you there are two flights: one from Panama Copa, one from El Salvador, Tropic, As there is the certainty of night following day, every Friday at least 50% of the passengers on Copa are Haitians. On the Tropic flight, it ranges from 50 to 60%, four, five times a week."
"We are going to work with the airlines to attempt to manage this. We do not believe that the routes should be reduced.. We want to cooperate and work with them to ensure that genuine tourists come to Belize. We are not attempting to restrict any Jamaican or any Haitian who intends to come to Belize legitimately. They have rights under the Treaty of S, which will be respected and which from an immigration point of view, we will facilitate."
Courtenay will also chair a ministerial task force to address human smuggling.
For their part, the airlines he mentioned say that they cannot discriminate against travelers who meet every single requirement to travel to Belize.
