Border Cards Easing Early Crossings for Guatemalan Students, Says Immigration Minister

Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa has highlighted the success of border crossing cards currently issued to Guatemalan students from Petén, describing the system as an effective tool that eases early-morning crossings for students attending school in Belize’s Cayo District.  Speaking on the issue, Minister Musa explained that the cards allow for more efficient processing at the western border, reducing delays and ensuring that students can cross safely and on time for classes. He said the initiative reflects practical cooperation at the border and addresses the realities faced by families and students who cross daily.  Musa noted that based on the success of the student cards, government is hopeful that a similar arrangement can be developed for Belizeans who cross into Melchor de Mencos, particularly those who do so regularly for personal or economic reasons.

Kareem Musa, Minister of Immigration, Governance and Labour: “The border crossing card is a new concept. We recently introduced it first at the Guatemala border but as you know it is only being utilized for the children who come across for school every single day. And let me make this very clear, they come across every single day acknowledging Belize is a separate country and I think we have to accept that. This perhaps is one of those phenomenons that you look at and say this is what Belize is all about welcoming others to our country. They’re not getting any residence, they’re not getting any immigration status, but merely to go to school and they have to pay their way in the institutions and from the information that I have gathered, again, this is something that has been taking place for decades but perhaps something that we’re now highlighting, they come to Belize primarily to learn the English language because because when they go back to, whether it’s Flores Peten, or if it’s in Melchor, they use the English language in tourism, in commerce, in trade, and so it’s a benefit to them to learn English. And they come and they sing our Belizean national anthem and they form relationships with our Belizean children, and that’s the kind of relationship that we want to encourage with Guatemala, not war, not fighting, the way that they have been aggressing us in the Sarstoon and this is the kind of relationship, sisterly relationship we want to create with Guatemala. But in terms of the border crossing card it is something that is now streamlined on our side of the border. I know that officials, our diplomats in Guatemala, the Belizean ambassador is working on their side to have it accepted, the Belizean card, accepted by the Guatemalan government. And so you might notice that only the children from Guatemala are using the border crossing card because it’s accepted on our side and on their side they just accept the children back because they’re Guatemalan. But in terms of the adults crossing they still use the old fold out border crossing document which is stamped each time and it takes a very lengthy period for them to actually go over. And so we’re hoping that with some discussion on the Guatemalan side they will accept the Belizean border crossing card because it’s something like you said it’s new, modern, digitized, and it’s far more efficient.” 

Minister Musa noted that the border card system forms part of a broader effort to modernize border management and facilitate lawful movement across Belize’s land borders.  The border crossing cards are produced in Belize, and government officials say plans are also in the pipeline to implement a similar system for workers who commute daily to the Corozal Free Zone./