TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS IN BELIZE - OAS

So it is easy to reach La Unión from Belize. Weak points are many, Mexican
custom office is usually unattended and the Belizean post, as mentioned, has
scarce staff.
These vulnerable spots are called “landings” and are used as transit areas with
no controls; they are also used by smugglers and drug traffickers. In 2004, a
light aircraft, full of drugs, got stuck in the area because it broke down. Blue
Creek and the nearby town of San Felipe have only one Policeman that doesn’t
have a car. This is one of the many open spots between this border line. This
opening is used by neighbors that come and go to work or to buy some
products depending on the most convenient prices.
These weak spots are easy to reach, they connect to important Mexican
highways from Belizean roads with scarce or no controls. From this context we
can’t assume that human trafficking is taking place, but what we can conclude is
that, if it really is happening, human traffickers have a great deal of
geographical advantages to work.
VII. INSTITUTIONAL RESOURCES
The key institution for migration control in Belize is the Immigration and
Nationality Department. It has been under many ministries: the Foreign Affairs
Ministry, the National Security Ministry and nowadays it is under the Finance
and Home Affairs Ministry.
Efforts are being undertaken so as to offer an adequate training for the
migration officers, as well as a career and hierarchical structure within the
Department.
During a long time, the direction of the Department was a political post. What
employees want is that a full career employee occupies that position. And this is
what happens nowadays. On the other hand, political authorities argue that this
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