3 immigration bills to deal with corruption in the department

John Briceno

And then it was on to the bills for amendments to the Immigration Act. The amendments are the results of the ongoing immigration scandal, measures proposed by Minister of Immigration Godwin Hulse to slam shut open doors of opportunity for hustling. Those amendments have been roundly criticized and shredded by President of the Bar Eamon Courtenay, and the Opposition people’s United Party has stated publicly that it agrees with Courtenay’s position. There are various areas of contention, one of them the scrutinizing committee which has been appointed. Today Member for Orange Walk Central John Briceño lashed out at PM Dean Barrow, stating that in light of the serious corruption in Immigration, it is a pity that the PM has chosen the route of glitter over the path of substance.

John Briceño, Member for Orange Walk Central

“The members of the visa vetting committee are all employees of the government. For instance you have the members in the vetting committee Mr. Speaker, the visa vetting committee is the Chief Executive Officer for the ministry responsible for immigration, the Chief Executive Officer for the ministry responsible for human development, the Chief Executive Officer from the ministry responsible for national security and the director of immigration and national services. Now Mr. Speaker how can we really expect these individuals to really vet very carefully the work of their own government. I mean their bosses are the very same ministers and the very same Prime Minister. Actually it was the Prime Minister that in one press conference said that he signs their contracts, he is the one that basically decides who can work and who cannot be a part of his government, So there is not a single independent member in this committee that is not being hold to this government or to any of the ministries working for the government of Belize. So what can we expect from this committee, do we really expect them, that they will stop any UDP minister from any kind of wrongdoing?”

Francis Fonseca, PUP Leader

Francis Fonseca

“As the member for Orange Walk Central pointed out, they are all government appointees and I believe without questioning the integrity of any of those C.E.O.’s, it does not allow for the restoration of truth and confidence by the Belizean public in the process. The fact is that the Belizean public does not, will not have confidence in that type of public sector control, visa vetting committee. A public officer, C.E.O.’s who report and are appointed directly by the Prime Minister.”

Dean Barrow

Dean Barrow, Prime Minister

“Every single one of them while he or she is on a contract is made subject by the contract to the public service rules and regulations. So every single one of them is a public servant and public servants especially at that level are expected and have in the main, expected to act and have in the main acted with great probity. So I don’t think that it is a tall fair to suggest that a vetting committee made up of C.E.O.’s will be ineffective. Terribly unfair allegation to make.”