Wade was also asked about the explosive revelation from the last hearing in which Former Immigration Director Ruth Meighan agreed that in the rush up to the 2012 general elections, there were a number of applicants who did not qualify for nationality, but they got it anyway. With that, they were able to get on the voter’s list, which they shouldn’t have.
Well, when the Senators asked Wade about it, he said that the Directors and the Minister interpreted the law in a way he didn’t agree, which allowed for people who entered illegally, and lived in Belize for some years, to get nationality. Here’s his version:
Hon. Eamon Courtenay, PUP Senator
"If an applicant was out for 6 months or 2 months, 3 months..."
Gordon Wade - Former OIC, Nationality Section
"They would have to have reasonable excuse for being out that amount of time."
Hon. Eamon Courtenay
"For example?"
Gordon Wade
"A death in the family, medical, something to that affect."
Hon. Eamon Courtenay
"What if you are residing abroad?"
Gordon Wade
"Well then you won't be considered."
Hon. Eamon Courtenay
"Right, so a person who is ordinarily residence here would ordinarily have to have a house or some where he or she is living in Belize?"
Gordon Wade
"Would not naturally, yes sir."
Hon. Eamon Courtenay
"And if they have children, their children would have to be in school in Belize?"
Gordon Wade
"That's right."
Hon. Eamon Courtenay
"And more than likely employed or have their own business in Belize?"
Gordon Wade
"That's right."
Hon. Eamon Courtenay
"And so you're saying that people who have those general conditions for 5 years under section 10 would qualify subject to exceptional times when they can explain why in that 5 year period they were not-"
Gordon Wade
"Like I mentioned legally."
Hon. Eamon Courtenay
"Oh they have to come in legally?"
Gordon Wade
"Well in my view, like I said from an immigration stand point what this says ordinarily residing in Belize for 5 years in my view means legal, legally residing in Belize for 5 years."
Hon. Eamon Courtenay
"This is more opportune, who prepared this list of 2,110 names?"
Gordon Wade
"Those were prepared at the registry, the records management unit."
Hon. Eamon Courtenay
"Yeah but how do you know which 2,110, how did they know - why were these 2,110-"
Gordon Wade
"Because they were people that were sworn in."
Hon. Eamon Courtenay
"It is your evidence that you are aware that a number of these specific files were approved on the basis of an interpretation of section 10 in which you disagree?"
Gordon Wade
"Exactly."
Hon. Eamon Courtenay
"Right and it was the director and or the minister above you who looked at ordinarily resident and they put an interpretation on it which not an interpretation that is consistent with your 27 years’ experience?"
Gordon Wade
"Right."
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