For the first time, the United States has repatriated Belizean nationals via a charter flight rather than the usual commercial routes. Speaking to the media this morning, Luke Martin, Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Belize, confirmed the change and provided details on the nature of the flight and the individuals aboard.
The flight, which landed today at Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport, carried 21 Belizeans. Martin said, “It’s not like they were just scooped up off the street and put on a plane, okay. Everybody had the right to due process, went to court, had their hearings, had their appeals. So this happened through, you know, legal means for sure.”
“By putting people on a charter flight like this and also including other countries in it, it is some kind of a cost efficiency that happens as well,” he explained.
While this initiative has drawn attention locally, Martin dispelled notions of aggressive immigration enforcement. “This was not knocking down doors and walking into houses. These were people that were all illegally [in the U.S.]. The majority of them had crossed into the United States illegally, and then the rest of them were overstays… The majority of them did have some kind of criminal offense in the United States as well,” he said.
“There are no children on this flight,” Martin confirmed, though he noted that in other cases, such as in Honduras, family units have voluntarily returned via self-deportation programs.
Martin also addressed the broader message of the deportation. “This is a new message to Belize… Illegal immigration is not something that has been tolerated. There’s a zero tolerance policy,” he said.
On the topic of future flights, Martin said it’s likely that more charter flights will occur if they continue to prove efficient.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with other agencies, coordinated to verify their identities and ensure proper documentation. The returnees were processed like all others repatriated by foreign governments. The Ministry stressed its commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of all Belizeans abroad, regardless of immigration status, and reaffirmed that all Belizeans are welcome home.