Retired School Teacher Ticked Off Over Passport Delay
Sharon McKay
Retired educator Sharon McKay applied to renew her Belizean passport at the end of July and was asked to return for her travel document three weeks later. It has been one month since and there is no word as to whether her passport has been updated. According to McKay, she has purchased a plane ticket for travel outside of the country and not knowing what’s the status of the document has her livid since her date for travel is drawing near. She stopped by our office earlier today to explain her frustration with the process and what she has attempted to do in an effort to rectify the delay.
Sharon McKay, Passport Applicant
“I applied for the passport on the twenty-fourth of July. My passport would have been expired on the fourteenth of August and I was told to come back in three weeks. I went there after a month and I was told that the passport was not ready. The young lady told me to call Belmopan and I did. I called all the numbers that were given to me, no one answered the phone and she even said to me, “Ms., you need to check on your passport because some people have been waiting for their passports for over six months and these are passports that they are only renewing, they are not applying for a new passport.”
Reporter
“Just to clarify, have you had any previous immigration issues or so on during traveling or so on previously?”
Sharon McKay
“Never, I have never had any kind of immigration issues. I am a retired teacher and now I should be enjoying my retirement by traveling and I can’t do anything, I’m stuck in my country.”
Reporter
“Okay, obviously you’re frustrated. What was the next step that you took in order to clarify this matter?”
Sharon McKay
“Well this morning I went to the Ombudsman’s Office and I made my complaint and I was told that that has to go through a process too and I can’t wait for those processes to take place because I booked a ticket and I need to travel and so I need my passport as quick as I could get it.”
