January 13, 2010
Hon. Dean O. Barrow
Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister
Belmopan
Belize
Dear Prime Minister,
You are undoubtedly anguished by the horrific human tragedy that is unfolding in Haiti, our CARICOM sister nation, as a result of the massive earthquake. It appears all but certain that tens of thousands of Haitians have lost their lives, while hundreds of thousands more will have lost their livelihoods.
For a nation as wretchedly impoverished as Haiti already is, this natural disaster will shackle the aspirations of generations yet unborn.
Similar tragedies befell our Central American neighbors when massive earthquakes struck Managua, Nicaragua, in 1972 and Guatemala City in 1976. In fact, many Central American refugees who have now gained Belizean residency and citizenship survived these two epic disasters before being permitted entry to Belize.
Though our nation may not be in a position to offer significant financial assistance to Haiti, our government should consider offering refugee status to a limited number of needy Haitian citizens. A special program could be prudently coordinated with the support of the United Nations or the International Red Cross, so that Haitian families with special skills could be relocated to Belize to support our national development goals. Well planned farming communities, for example, along the Western Border, would provide a settlement buffer for Belize while generating additional productivity from vacant lands.
Since attaining self-government, Belize’s immigration policies have been friendly to Mennonites, Asians and Central Americans, among other groups. These policies have nourished a unique cultural amalgam in our society, one that has nurtured the values of diversity and tolerance. We believe that a Special Refugee
Program for Haiti would be timely and beneficial.
We urge you and the Cabinet to lend weighty consideration to this proposal.
Sincerely,
Hon. Cordel Hyde
Area Representative
Lake Independence
Hon. Mark A. Espat
Area Representative
Albert
cc: Hon. Carlos Perdomo, Minister of National Security & Immigration