How Did Mason Get Belizean Nationality?

William Mason is allegedly a dual national with ties to Canada and Guyana – but when Police seized his documents they found out that he seems to be a tri-national – that is, he also has a Belizean birth certificate. So how is that even possible? All too easily, according to Minister of Immigration Godwin Hulse.

Godwin Hulse, Minister of Immigration

“If he has a Vital Statistics document then it has nothing to do with nationality – it has to do with passports, meaning he would have presented that. I have not had any opportunity to speak to any officer or indeed to follow up on it. But of course knowing me you know I will. By this afternoon I will be looking to see what information we can have from that angle but at this point I am in no position to speak.”

Reporter

“With that bogus birth certificate would he have been able to dupe the entire system and get a passport?”

Godwin Hulse

Godwin Hulse

“Easily. You remember there was this Mennonite guy in Mexico who had gotten a fake Vital Statistics document and that triggered. We don’t have any control over Vital Statistics. We had put in some serious measures to deal with the nationality aspect, but if you show up with a birth certificate and you have a Social Security picture and the Social Security card looks good – remember birth certificates have no picture, so I don’t know who that is. It has no fingerprint so I don’t know who that is. It’s one of the loosest documents you can imagine. It goes back to the days when we had confidence in the nation and nobody lied – not any more. So getting a Vital Statistics document seems very easy and of course, of course, I saw a picture of him a while ago for the first time. I don’t know the man. He could be any other Belizean. So if you show up with a document like that and a Social Security card with your picture and of course if there’s somebody who’s prepared to sign the passport application form to say they know you then you’re good to go.”