Belize’s Passport Ranks Average Strength Globally

Instead of signaling a setback, recent reports about Belize’s access to Europe have reignited a long-running conversation about the strength of the Belizean passport and the hurdles many citizens face when traveling abroad. While Spain has clarified that Belize remains outside the Schengen visa-waiver program, government officials say that’s nothing new and efforts to secure visa-free access are still ongoing. The issue has renewed focus on the travel restrictions Belizeans face when visiting key destinations like the European Union, the United States, and Canada. Today, we asked Minister of Immigration Kareem Musa where those efforts stand.

 

Kareem Musa, Minister of Immigration

“ I’ve heard the Minister of Foreign Affairs speak on that particular issue, and from what I understand, that was a consideration that has been in the pipeline for quite some time. And so it’s only now coming to the end of that process the deliberations. Whether where we stand, I know what I can tell you in terms of the security features of our passport have improved significantly with the infrared features, the barcode, and all of that. So the strength of the passport  has definitely improved in terms of security and I’m sure that we can always do better in terms of improving the overall strength of our passport.”

 

Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca said securing a full Schengen visa waiver remains difficult as the decision is heavily influenced by European Union politics, making it a long-standing challenge for successive Belizean governments.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

Watch the full newscast here: