Belize immigration authorities have denied entry to 11 Jamaican nationals, including five children, and four Brazilian nationals during the period of November 4-11.
Among them is a 37-year-old Jamaican man who broke his leg while attempting to escape immigration officials by jumping through a window.
The Department of Border Management and Immigration Services reported that the Jamaican nationals arrived on November 11 via a COPA Airlines flight from Panama.
Officials cited multiple reasons for denying entry, including lack of return tickets, insufficient documentation for traveling minors, and invalid accommodation details.
Immigration authorities discovered that eight of the Jamaican nationals had provided an address that, upon investigation, housed only businesses and a water taxi service, with no hotel facilities. Further investigation revealed that some hotel bookings were made using fraudulent credit cards.
Three Jamaican nationals, including the injured man, have retained attorney Norman Rodriguez to challenge their deportation through judicial review. Rodriguez contends that his clients met all entry requirements, including having return tickets and hotel reservations.
He has alleged discrimination against Jamaican nationals and claims immigration officers failed to provide formal notice of detention as required by the Immigration Act.
The Ministry of Immigration issued a statement emphasizing their vigilance regarding the use of Belize as a transit point to reach the United States and Canada. “The suspected smuggling of anyone, particularly minors, through Belize, will under no circumstance be countenanced,” the statement read.
The Acting Port Commander has notified the Department of Human Services about the children in custody.
All 15 foreign nationals are currently being held under guard at the Global Village Hotel pending repatriation.
