09/08/2026
Day 2 in Illinois: Mobile Immigration Hub and Diaspora meet up
These are some of the faces of the Belizeans we served on Saturday, August 8, as the Ministry of Immigration, Governance and Labour continued its mobile services in Evanston, Illinois.
Most came to renew their Belizean passports. Others, including Belizean Americans raising families in the United States, came to apply for their children to receive Belizean nationality by descent.
While the applications, photographs and biometrics occurred, Belizeans were reconnecting.
A barber who once worked behind St. Martin’s in Belize City was happy just to see so many Belizeans gathered in one place in the Chicago area. Ladies born in the 1950s found old friends they had not seen in years. Conversations started between people who remembered the same neighbourhoods, communities and pieces of home.
Because whether someone moves from one district of Belize to another, or builds a life thousands of miles away in Illinois, Texas, Colorado, California or elsewhere, the connection to Belize remains.
For some, the hub also solved a very practical challenge. Belizeans who were unable to easily reach other services such as the Lands Department, they were able to complete their applications and fix issues on site, saving them the expense and inconvenience of travelling to Belize.
That convenience is already bringing Belizeans from across the United States. Families have travelled from as far as Colorado, while others have come from Texas and California for passport and nationality services.
The Ministry’s Illinois hub is a success and it continues today, Sunday August 9. For these few days, the Heritage Ballroom at the Immigration hub also also become, a reunion and a bonding experience for Belizeans living in the United States. 🇧🇿
