Belize launches Sex Offender registry
The Central American country of Belize has launched its sex offender registry last week.
Unlike the United States (and like most countries) the registry is non-public. Concerned citizens would be required to complete a questionnaire/application form, and if approved, the authorized individuals would then be granted a password to access the system.
According to this article in the San Pedro Sun, “most of the information about sex offenders is confidential nature, those granted access would be expected to treat the information in a responsible manner, and to widely publicize data on individuals which could lead to mass community hysteria, and result in unwarranted attacks against the registered offenders by parents concerned about the safety of their children. The object is to prevent crime, not to provoke more crime inadvertently.”
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While the Belize policy might sound reasonable, it is still punitive when it is used to restrict/deny entry. Put lipstick on a pig, you still have a pig.
that is exactly the way Americas started and most others started as well. its the “soft” approach.. Later comes the real deal..always does..
What does the government expect a senior citizen to do when they get dementia and forget to report to the sheriff every 90 days? Did you know that if you’re on the SRO that you can never live in a nursing home?
Just looked at TAG Travel Matrix. Belize is turning away SO’s?
YES – individuals are reporting that they are being turned back. Belize is no longer allowing registrants to enter.
This makes me so incredibly angry and helpless at the same time. I got a dive trip into Belize a little over a year ago and hoped to go back. When is this insanity going to stop?!?
This is how it is supposed to be done. Also I don’t mind registering in other countries just as long as they don’t deny me entry. You register basic info with them as you land and be done with to enjoy your stay. Of course, I would rather have none of that and travel to vacation like any regular citizen, but it’s better than being denied entry to be sent back and waste all that time, energy and money, not to mention feeling shamefully embarrassed.
If the US notifies a country yo are coming, you get denied entry. How can any sovereign nation hear from the world guardian USA that ” A monster is coming” and let them in?
Please let me know what countries have allowed you in with full notification by the USA?
The matrix maintained by Resident Travel Action Group gives a rough idea of which countries.
The green notice in Interpol doesn’t exactly say, a monster is coming. Instead, it says, this person has a conviction of x, here is their itinerary.
Some countries interpret that as U.S. pressure to deny entry and do so. Others think it’s a joke. And some, namely continental European countries in the Schengen Agreement, view it as a human rights violation and pay it no regard.
So again, which countries have let you in, with full notification coming from the US?
TAG’s matrix is outdated and misleading. A lot of the countries that say SO’s were admitted were without notification, pre IML.
Well I’m a 49yo RSO from Georgia who’s crime was 31 years ago and travel the world. Now I’m in Guatemala but got the 3rd degree plus they went thru ALL my stuff and asked a million questions but let me in. I tried Honduras but they denied me. I was in Belize 2017 with no issues and have friends there but not so sure now with new law. I want to go back but fear I’ll be turned back. However Mexico doesn’t allow us BUT I just walked across the border into Juarez City via El Paso with NO ISSUES! I had a GREAT time! Just WALKED in they didn’t even check my passport, coming BACK the US AGENTS harassed me a bit, as usual!. Europe is no problem EXCEPT England and Ireland, they’ll deny you. Fly into Paris (it’s easiest way) and take trains to the other countries, NOBODY checks passports (Skechten borders) except in Switzerland and they STILL let me in. All of Africa except South Africa is good (Morocco is AWESOME!). Thailand in 2010 I got in, Cambodia and Myanmar but NOW I think it’s changed. I got into Japan for 1 day during a 24 hour layover with no issues. South America is off limits EXCEPT Trinidad I believe. Jamaica NO sadly. And Dominican Republic is a no go, but Haiti is ok i think. British Virgin Isles let me in also in 2012. Fact is we have to NOTIFY the Sheriffs dept before we leave and THEY tell the FBI who tells Interpol as they BOTH kiss each other’s BUTTS who informs the other countries. So ALWAYS tell them where you’re going or you’ll get arrested. You may lose a few hundred dollars on a plane ticket but it’s better than prison! The laws are draconian and it’s just a way to win votes. Maybe you’ll get into a country or not, but atleast try! I travel to HELP RSO’s know where they can go. Good luck!
This passport crap with a stamp in the back is not fair. I was planning on moving to South America because of the crap to report every 90 days to your local sheriff. I’ve done my time and parole and it’s tough enough w/o having this passport crap. I am also a senior citizen living on only social security because I can’t get a job because of both my age and register. I think we ought to start our own national “union” and appear at the White House in Washington D.C. like the women all over our country have done. It would be nice to have a website that solely helps RSO’s know where they can travel or move to. In the meantime I’m planning on moving to another country while I can. I hate to leave my family behind though.
You’re right it is not fair what they were doing and needs to be stopped. I have purchased a condo in Belize and owned property there and was planning to retire there, now I cannot get in. So now I must sell my condo and empty my bank account over there and move somewhere else. Is there anywhere else that speaks English which is the only language I speak that I would be comfortable and have white sands in a beautiful ocean, I doubt it. They’ve ruined my retirement and ruin my life! Yester
Maybe puerto rico. I believe you could get in there
Puerto Rico is the United States
That’s American territory, so you’ll still have to register.
The only way we can get everyone together and appear at the White House is if some of the wealthier SOs are willing to fund the protests. I am positive that the majority of us would be willing to go if money wasn’t an issue . I can’t even get a job to feed myself in the state i am currently living , I’m almost saved enough to move and live in my car in a different state but it is ridiculous. I would definitely leave the US I’d i could actually live and work somewhere else . But they make it almost impossible unless you have money already or you know someone. Definitely have to get everyone together to protest that the whole registry is a constitutional violation of our rights . Which it is.
I would like to do the same as you when you stop traveling. Do you think there is funding available for me to travel to see where sex offenders are able to gain entry to and what goes through the entire process. I would like to constantly travel to not only different countries to video and see how we are treated but also visit each state to see how everything differs in each state.
I traveled to Kenya 2 times and lived there prior to the 3rd time going in 2018 and I was turned away. I even have my citizenship there due to my father being from there. I had to pay to get my name out of the system there. Otherwise I would’ve been bared from all the East African countries since they all are tied together. If you go to Kenya, I’d say know someone so that you can pay to get into the country. I know it’s sad, but that’s that’s climate that we live in being labeled as such.
It really sucks for RSO who are tier 1 and NVP. I’m freshly new and just traveled to Aruba in Jan 24′. I had no issues because Aruba allows us to come. I did get flagged coming back and Agent that was checking my things was very nice and respectful. Aruba has there own US Customs there. Weird thing is I don’t even think the State Police notified anyone. They told me just report when I’m back in the US. I truly believe that ML is not being used for its purpose. I’m sure there are others that feel like me. I did the crime and spent 5 months in county while others with same charge got nothing. Reality is we still paying with this name cause now it’s 100x harder to find a job. I got lucky even know it’s a $5 pay cut. Then they want you to go see a specialist to see if your able to be around children un supervised. My case didn’t involve minors it was a grown lady. Problem is there is no such thing as consensual sex in a prison. I should’ve thought with the right head I know. There should be some type of review board to get off the registration early for people that fit a criteria. But I refuse to let this run my life. My friends and family know who I am. The judge even talked highly of me but said I did commit a crime. DA even said I wasn’t a threat and even pushed my case back over a year with no limitations. I was free to do whatever. Sometimes has to change.
Germany,, anything older than 10 years Germans don’t care. And they shy away from registry’s as that is what Hitler did with the Jews .
Does it say foreign nationals are required? There are justice system differences amongst the world. If we were not prosecuted by the legal system of that country how can there be a sanction?
And another set of second class citizens is created for political manipulation and abuse. I feel for those who are about to have their lives ruined.
It is going to be used just as it is here…to control with fear and misinformation.