EU Visa Waiver for Belizeans Unlikely to Come Soon

In related news from abroad, Belize continues its campaign to have Belizeans enjoy a Schengen visa waiver.  The Schengen area is made up of several member states of the European Union whose borders are controlled via a visa requirement.  Once in possession of a valid visa, a traveler could then access the countries in the area and Switzerland.  The Belize Government has been lobbying to its EU friends to have the visa requirement waived.  Just a few weeks ago, the EU Ambassador to Belize, Dr. Erja Askola indicated that such a waiver would not be happening in the near future.  Senator for Government Business, Eamon Courtenay, noted in Friday’s Senate meeting, that the government continues its lobbying of the waiver.

Eamon Courtenay, Senator, Leader of Government Business: “Member states of the European Union, member states of the Schengen Area retain right, power and authority to enter into agreements in relation to diplomatic passports only. Any other type of passport, official or ordinary is controlled in Brussels. It is controlled not only by the member states, the commission but also the European Parliament and therefore for there to be a waiver or any exception relating to any passport other than a diplomatic passport it’s the process in Brussels. And that is the process to which Senator Pitts referred that we have conducted a campaign to seek to get the visa waiver in relation to all passports. We were only able to get this and there are other countries for example Hungary and a couple others in the European Union where we do have the waiver for diplomatic passports but that is because we can do so on a bilateral basis have that negotiation with them. The campaign continues for the Schengen Visa waiver for all passports for the entire Schengen area. It is not easy as you are aware the current climate in the developed world is very much anti migration and the whole notion that you would be allowing another country right of access, the citizens of another country right of access into the European Union. Perhaps now is not the time to actually put that to a vote. That being said what we have been told, and this has been confirmed to Minister Fonseca and to the Prime Minister is that in so far as the criteria exists for qualification for the Schengen Visa waiver Belize ticks all the boxes. So it’s a question of timing when is the appropriate time having regard to the politics in the European Union, in the Schengen area that we will advance that process.”

Senator Courtenay’s presentation on Friday in the Senate was in response to a question put by the opposition Senator, Sheena Pitts.  Additionally, Courtenay explained the need for a Schengen visa waiver and who it would primarily serve to benefit.

Eamon Courtenay, Senator, Leader of Government Business: “Why is the Schengen waiver necessary ? Senator Pitts quite rightly raised it in the context of students and that is a part of the discussion we’re having with Senator Herrera a shot while ago that as challenges emerge up north for students we need other opportunities for Belizean students where they can be easily facilitated with getting visas for education purposes. But beyond that we export to Europe, we import from Europe and our business people need to move freely in order to expand our trade relations. Not only students, not only business people but also tourists. They come into Belize, Europeans, without a visa, and so we say it should be reciprocal for Belizeans who want to visit European countries. The best argument that we have is that we have always had and continue to have visa free access to the United Kingdom even when the United Kingdom was a member of the European Union and there was no flow legal or illegal migration to the United Kingdom to enter Europe. So Madam President the point of the matter is that the relations between the European Union and Belize both in cooperation and development assistance is critical as well as ensuring that our diplomatic relations are deepened.”

Ambassador Courtenay noted that Belize’s Ambassador, Dr. Gianni Avila and her staff continue to retain the matter of a waiver on its vision board.