Repatriation Process Can Take A Few Days

Lou-Anne Burns Martinez

The repatriation process for Belizeans will not be achieved over night. According to C.E.O. Martinez, the process can take a few days or even a week. Martinez is asking for Belizeans to be patient and to fully complete the application.

Lou-Anne Burns Martinez, C.E.O., Ministry of Foreign Affairs

“We respond very quickly. As soon as we get those applications in we have a team who are reviewing and sending email to say that we are confirming that we have actually receive you applications. From the process between the applications and the selections of the groups who can come in I don’t think it will be a terribly long process because we are trying to move as quickly as possible but it is not going to be twenty four hours. Expect to wait a few days. It may be a bit longer than that depending when we decided maybe a week or more. I can’t say at this time. To be fair we really have to access and this is the reason we ask for the applications so that we can get a kind of a view of where our people are spread out over the world. What are their situations? How desperate are you? What is your condition? Are you a student who is finished and really you are in a situation where you are running out of money and can’t afford to be where you are anymore? What are the current COVID numbers where you are? How are you trying or planning to return home because there are different routes as well? So what are your plans? All of these things have to be considered.”

Host

“Do you have an idea when the earliest flight may be?”

Lou-Anne Burns Martinez

“There may be a flight but again this is subject to review. We are aware that there is an existing repatriation flight leaving Belize with United Airways on Friday the twenty-second. So people don’t get alarm. That will not be the only flight. There may be an opportunity for a group to return on that flight. But there will be other opportunities coming up for people to return and really we need at this time to make sure that we get this absolutely right.”