Since the murder of Special Constable Danny Conorquie at the Caracol Archaeological Reserve two weeks ago – the entire country has been under a
heightened state of security awareness.
Which made it the perfect time to find out that a Guatemalan Company, BINARQ, was building the US Funded Coast Guard Forward Operating Base on Hunting
Caye in Belizean water. It's the kind of no brainer that begs the question, "what were they thinking?" by having Guatemalan civilians building a
Belizean military facility.
Minister of Labour Godwin Hulse, who has been taking a hard line on labour related issues for immigrant workers, told the press today that as soon as
he was informed of the Hunting Caye contractual arrangement, he tasked a labour team to investigate whether or not the proper permits were received to
get Guatemalan Civilians working at the site. Here's how he explained it:
Hon. Godwin Hulse, Minister of Immigration
"When it came to my attention, I immediately summoned our CEO and our director from both labour and immigration to dispatch a team down there to give
me a full fledge report as what happened. Let me make it categorically clear, the contract is one thing but who you employee is another. Nobody can
work in Belize, who's not a Belizean without a work permit - that's the law and we're going to up hold it and nobody can enter Belize without a proper
immigration status - that's the law and we're going to uphold it. No matter who gave contract, and from whom is paying and that is the position. Before
we can make a final statement, we have to know what their status is, what they're doing here and how and that sort of things."
Alindy Marisol Amaya - News Director, KREM News
"Are you disappointed the information wasn't brought to your attention prior to it being brought up in the house?"
Hon. Godwin Hulse
"Of course, we all should have knows. It's one government, what ever happens we all should know, there is no excuse for that or reason why we didn't
know. As quickly as we found out, we dispatched a team to do our work and we will report to the media as soon as we are completed with that. I repeat
again, nobody will work in this country that doesn't have the proper legal documents to do so."
Mike Rudon, Reporter - Channel 5 News
"Sir, what would be your position if you find out that they do not have the proper documents, you're the minister of immigration and labour, what would
be your position then?"
Hon. Godwin Hulse
"We'll have to expel them, i'm saying that categorically. We cannot have people in this country working without the proper documents and there is no
ifs, buts or maybe and there's no excuses for that. Let me just make the policy clear because it comes up all the time, we at the ministry of labour
has established that you must find Belizean workers for every job you do in this country. If, and there is a process of finding Belizean workers, if
you can't find Belizean workers, then you are allowed to bring the foreigners but you must apply. The foreigner is then given a temporary work permit
and you must have Belizeans you employ. We have never given cart branch to any company to bring all foreigners and goes with ASR, Green Tropics, that
goes with NCL, any company and we won't change from that."
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