Belize to ban charter flights from Haiti

BELMOPAN, Belize, CMC – Belize says it will not allow charter flights from Haiti to land in the country warning also it is prepared to reverse provisions of allowing Haitians to come to the nation without a visa.

Foreign Minister Eamon Courtenay said that the decision follows reports that “corrupt and abusive mafia …using chartered flights out of Haiti to smuggle Haitians”.

In recent times, there have been several requests for chartered flights carrying Haitian visitors to arrive in Belize.

However, the authorities said that those aircrafts won't be allowed to touch down at the Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (PGIA) because many of those on board are arriving with one-way tickets.

They said, in addition, that the Haitians do not have hotel arrangements and end up being smuggled out of the country en route to the United States.

“We have taken a decision this week, and I informed Cabinet yesterday that we have requested, over the next six weeks, for a number of flights to come as charter (from) Haiti [to] Belize,” Courtenay said.

“In collaboration with [The Department of] Civil Aviation, we are not going to allow them to land, and if we have to reverse the provision of Haitians coming into Belize without a visa, we are going to do so.  Why?  Because these people are abused by smugglers, they are trafficked by smugglers and we will not allow it to happen through Belize as long as we can stop it,” the foreign affairs minister added.

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.