Immigration Minister Gives Update on Security Measures to Prevent Corruption

Godwin Hulse

The Ministry of Immigration seems to be ever under scrutiny for a series of irregularities concerning documentation obtained through fraudulent means. At the House meeting last Friday Prime Minister Dean Barrow sombrely expressed his belief that addressing the corruption and high level collusion within the department would be an ongoing fight because there is just too much financial incentive to do the wrong thing. Today, under fire after the David Nanes Schnitzer debacle, Senator and Minister of Immigration Godwin Hulse opened the session with an update on security measures put in place.

Godwin Hulse, Minister of Immigration

“All of us know that in the past irregularities occurred. The department has taken persons before the Public Service Commission, but lost on what seemed to be a clear cut case on technicalities. The same occurred with twenty-two persons taken before the Supreme Court for procuring nationality by descent fraudulently. The department continues to strengthen processes and practices to prevent the reoccurrence of these situations; however, they are only as good as the persons operating these systems. So whenever any certificate or passport is detected, which was obtained without satisfying the legal requirements, such status shall be revoked and as best as possible, persons involved shall be taken before the Public Service Commission for disciplinary action and the case handed to the police for appropriate charges to be laid. The department cannot guarantee the outcome of such actions, but can certainly ensure that the object of their misdeeds; that is to get nationality and a subsequent passport—though succeeding temporarily—shall not sustain, so they shall know that they will not profit from their wrongdoing. Hopefully this shall serve as a deterrent for those who would try it in the future. I conclude Mister President by asking all Belizeans to join in this effort to ensure that anyone who obtains nationality and a subsequent passport is truly deserving. The media should undertake to broadcast the names of persons which have been published in the gazette; that is why we publish them, for the world to see. It is like getting married, Mister President; you don’t do it in secret. You are marrying in to the Belizean society. All and everyone should know who you are and that you are an acceptable candidate.”

Hulse is demanding an apology from member for Toledo East Mike Espat, who last week in the House called the names of Immigration personnel as he spoke about allegations of another immigration scam.