What’s the Plan for Accepting Deported Belizeans?

The Trump administration is moving forward with deporting individuals they consider undesirable, sending many who are in the U.S. illegally back to their home countries. Prime Minister John Briceño has stated that Belize is ready to welcome back Belizeans being repatriated, but the big question is, what’s the plan for helping them settle back into society?

 

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs

“We do know that that is a policy decision of the new Trump administration and so we do expect some deportees to be coming back, not necessarily violent offenders… One criminal gone, five more grow up the next day.  It’s not how this works.  Migration has happened since the Seventies and Eighties, it continues to this day, and I know you need a reason to explain away the numbers, but this is a fact of life and yes, we have to prepare ourselves for the deportations.”

 

Isani Cayetano

“What preparations are we speaking of, in terms of being able to perhaps deal with those who have a criminal past in the United States and are sent back home?”

 

Kareem Musa

“Well, we are going to deal with whether they have a criminal past here in Belize or if they are pending charges.  For instance, I believe Ellis Meighan is one of them.  If there are others then we will, if there is enough evidence, then those individuals will be charged.  And so, the police department obviously has a roster of these individuals that they will be keeping an eye on and, if necessary, charge upon their return.”