Nearly three years after nine Haitian minor girls entered Belize under a temporary humanitarian admission amid widespread chaos in their home country, a former top government oversight official is pushing for transparency into why the official investigation into their case remains unfinished.
Retired Major Herman Gilbert Swaso, who stepped down as Belize’s Ombudsman more than six months ago, launched a Freedom of Information (FOI) request this week to force government agencies to disclose the current status of the probe he opened in 2025. During his time leading the investigation, Swaso’s office uncovered multiple credible red flags spanning irregular guardianship arrangements, unclear immigration standing for the girls, gaps in mandated child protection protocols, and early indicators that may point to human trafficking.
While the immigration department turned over some records during the initial inquiry, Swaso confirmed that several key government agencies withheld critical documentation and failed to respond to formal queries before his term ended. Today, the girls remain in the care of private individuals affiliated with Beauty Out of Ashes, a local organization, but no clear resolution has been reached on their long-term status or the findings of the initial probe. Swaso is now demanding answers on whether the investigation has been continued, transferred to another body, suspended, or quietly dropped without public disclosure.
In response to questions about the case, current Immigration Minister Kareem Musa confirmed that his department is reviewing the matter. Musa clarified key details of the 2023 entry, correcting earlier misreporting that had incorrectly put the number of minors at four: nine girls, accompanied by two unrelated adult caregivers who had overseen their foster care in Haiti, were granted temporary entry to Belize on humanitarian grounds amid the escalating political and gang violence that has convulsed Haiti since 2023. The travel authorization granted was never intended to be permanent, Musa noted.
To date, the Ministry of Human Development has completed one social inquiry into the girls’ care and well-being, and a second assessment is planned to determine what arrangement would serve the children’s best interests long-term, including whether they should remain in Belize or repatriate. Musa stated that no formal confirmation has been received on whether the girls’s biological parents are requesting their return, but added that if parental repatriation requests are submitted, the children should be sent back to their families in line with standard child protection protocols. Musa also confirmed that the Belizean immigration ministry is working alongside United Nations agencies based in the country to coordinate on the case.
This report is adapted from a transcript of an evening television news broadcast, with original Kriol language statements transcribed using standard international spelling conventions for accuracy.