Immigration Ministry Breaks Down Amnesty 2022
On Monday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Eamon Courtenay in his role as Senator for Government Business announced that G.O.B., through the Ministry of Immigration will be launching an Amnesty Program in 2022. It will be offered to tens of thousands of undocumented Central American and CARICOM migrants who have been living in Belize for years. Today, senior officials from the Ministry of Immigration broke down the process and why it is being deemed necessary. News Five’s Duane Moody reports from Belmopan.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Come January 2022, the Government of Belize will be offering permanent residence status to tens of thousands of undocumented migrants from CARICOM and Central America, who despite having made Belize their home, are not regularised in the system. Their irregular status means that they are in limbo and at risk of being exploited – employed to work in unpleasant conditions at low wages.
Ramon Cervantes
Ramon Cervantes, Minister of State, Immigration
“The current global estimate is that there were around two hundred and eighty-one million international migrants around the world in 2020 which equates to three point six percent of the global population. The report further states that the largest proportional population changes occurred in Central America and that Belize had the greatest percentage change with its population increasing by twenty-four percent from 2009 to 2019.”
The 2010 census from the Statistical Institute of Belize reflects that just eleven years ago, fourteen point two percent of the country’s population was born outside of Belize. The Belize Refugee Department with support from the UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, has been working with the processing of asylum cases and because only one hundred refugees have been confirmed. This means thousands are living with an asylum seeker status, which means they cannot legally earn their keep. There are about forty thousand irregular migrant persons in Belize and so in an effort to manage the situation, the third amnesty program is being launched.
Dr. Gilroy Middleton
Dr. Gilroy Middleton, C.E.O., Ministry of Immigration
“The amnesty will look at registered asylum seekers, one. And two, irregular migrants who have resided continuously in Belize from a specific base year; irregular migrants who have Belizean children born prior to 2020; irregular migrants who have completed primary and secondary education in Belize and continue to reside in Belize; irregular migrants who are married to Belizeans for at least one year; irregular migrants who are in common-law union with a Belizean national for a continuous period for five years or more; those who are children who have resided in homes or foster care and are recommended by the Ministry of Human Development; those who have maintained gainful employment in Belize for at least five years.”
The initiative is in line with the principles of the Sustainable Development Goals of “Leaving No One Behind” and ensuring safe, orderly and regular migration. The International Organization for Migration is another partner with G.O.B. Already there has been pushback on the amnesty initiative and there are concerns of xenophobia. But as ministry officials clarified today, it is not going to be a free-for-all program. Only those who successfully qualify with the required documents will be registered. C.E.O. Doctor Gilroy Middleton spoke of the political ramifications.
Dr. Gilroy Middleton
“In terms of national security. It is estimated that we have some forty to sixty thousand individual within our country that are undocumented. Now they will be documented and we will know who is in our country. Economic development – once documented, these individuals who have been contributing to Belize will contribute so in a documented fashion. And finally, in terms of the international humanitarian assistance. In terms of the political ramifications; as noted, what will be provided to successful applicants would be permanent residence – permanent residence with a path to citizenship. This path involves a five-year waiting period and other legal requirements. So that would address individuals saying the Government of Belize is giving status to illegal migrants in terms of trying to secure a vote. Five years from now the election would have already happened.”
Following the completion of the amnesty program in 2023, the ministry will insist on stricter compliance with immigration laws and intends to scale up its enforcement mechanisms. Duane Moody for News Five.
