Today another 60 Guatemalan workers streamed into Belize across the western border at Benque Viejo. Just like we reported last week, they are here to
work in the citrus industry. It's an old, well-established practice, but it still raises eyebrows – since most of them don't have a passport. Today
Immigration Minister Godwin Hulse said they are not here to work for Green Tropics:…
Reporter
"Labourers seen coming across the border and the allegation that they're going to work for green tropics."
Hon. Godwin Hulse - Minister of Labour
"I had answered before but the truth of the matter is green tropics need work permits and we're not about to give work permits. We have a committee
that's well established and unless it is proven to us that they can't find adequate Belizean labour, we won't give permits."
Julez Vasquez
"Well there's a lot of welders, in quotes, already."
Hon. Godwin Hulse
"The welders are a different situation. I spoke to that already and i've encouraged set on the other institutions to please to try to get our guy
certified. You will remember or you won't, that when we were doing BSI mill, we had the same problem because those companies wanted certified welders
and I know we have a lot of great welders in Belize; But because of our structure, when you do technical things, you don't do academic, you don't get
piece of paper and the paper is the trip up but we have also been working with that."
Reporter
"So those you say, were for the citrus industry?"
Hon. Godwin Hulse
"As fas as I understand, yes."
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