Last night we told about the UNHCR media training on refugee reporting. As we told you, refugees are persons who have no choice but to flee their country in fear of their life. But it is not a bed of roses when refuges get to Belize initially. The process to be recognized as a refugee is a long and tedious one and the time period refugees have to apply is also very short.
Janice Marshall, Senior Consultant, UNHCR Belize
"There is a very short time limitation in the Belize refugee act, people who enter the country only have 14 days after they enter the country in which to make their claim for refugee status and that is very difficult for people to do because it is 14 calender days and the office where they need to make their claim isn't even open everyday of the week so I would say that would be the biggest change that would really make a positive difference in the life of refugees."
"There is quite a lengthy process, there is a bit of a back log so there is a delay before you get interviewed and then a long delay before your case is even considered by the committee which decides and then a long delay before it is confirmed if you are recognized as a refugee so during that time there was very little assistance available which means many people are forced to work illegally in the illegal sector in order to support themselves and their families and this of course leads to them being subjected to exploitation in the country because they do not have the legal right to work."
Since the refugee department re-opened in 2016 over 3,000 people have applied for refugee status.
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