Suspected Sikh Terrorist deported to Belize

Opponents of Belize’s policy of selling passports have long criticized the practice as an open invitation for tax dodgers, drug dealers, money launderers and even terrorists to find a safe haven on these all too friendly shores. Tonight it appears more certain than ever that those criticisms are well founded. A News Five investigation has determined that earlier this month a member of a deadly Indian terrorist group, holding a freshly printed Belize passport, was admitted to this country through the Phillip Goldson International Airport. Iqbal Singh, a citizen of India, was deported from Canada to Belize on January 6th. The reason? A Canadian court, acting under that country’s anti-terrorism law, found that Singh was a member of the Babbar Khalsa, a group of militant Sikh nationalists seeking to create an independent state in the Indian province of Punjab. The Babbar Khalsa or “BK”, one of India’s most deadly terrorist organizations, has routinely engaged in political assassinations and bombings to achieve its goals. Its most brutal act was the 1985 bombing of an Air India flight from Canada to India which killed 329 people. Although Singh, a thirty-three year old engineer, has consistently denied any involvement in violence or membership in extremist groups, Canadian police arrested him in 1998 as a threat to national security. Having already acquired refugee status in Canada, he argued in court that he would be tortured if returned to his native India. However, by the time the judge rejected this argument Singh had miraculously acquired a new nationality. As holder of Belize passport number 0-2-0-4-7-2-5, issued on November 29th, 1999, Iqbal Singh would be deported…not to India, but right here. The questions which now arise are many. How could Singh be deported as a suspected terrorist and the Belizean authorities not be told of his past? As strange as it sounds a spokesman for the Canadian Immigration Department told News Five that under Canadian privacy laws it may be possible that Singh was landed here with a note which says only that he had entered Canada illegally and was thus being deported “home” to Belize. More importantly, how could a man so well known to Canadian law enforcement authorities be granted a Belizean passport in the first place? Successive governments who have operated the various economic citizenship programs since the mid 80’s have assured the public that all candidates are thoroughly vetted, particularly for any evidence of criminal activity. According to Joey Belisle, Director of the Belize Economic Citizenship Investment Program, Special Branch sent a routine inquiry to INTERPOL who reported back on November 25th, that there was nothing adverse to report. No questions were ever asked of Canadian Police, even though it appears that at the time of his application Singh was in jail awaiting trial. Nor were any red flags raised by Manolo Romero, the local immigration consultant who shepherded Singh’s forty thousand U.S. dollar application through Belmopan. Which leads to the most important question of all. What is more dangerous? That Iqbal Singh is at this moment living the good life in Belize…or the fact that with the blessings of politicians from both sides of the aisle, anyone–no matter how great a threat to the nation or the world–will be welcome to call himself a Belizean…as long as the price is right.