Belize Government has introduced major reforms to the Economic citizenship act in 2023. The Cabinet gave its approval amendments to be introduced to the Economic Citizenship (Abolition of Rights) Bill 2023 to prohibit any person from relying on “an economic citizenship relationship” to obtain Belizean nationality. Descendents of economic citizens, mainly generational children who wish to acquire Belizean nationality through descendency will not become Belizeans.
The Law will also restrict acquiring citizenship through descent or marriage who had “any relation” to economic citizenship beneficiaries.
Belize Economic Citizenship Investment Programme (BECIP) was brought to an end in Jan 15, 2002 pursuant to the Belize Constitution (Fourth Amendment) Act, 2001 and the Belizean Nationality (Amendment) Act, 2014. Thousands of people acquired Belize nationality through the BECIP and many were obtained fraudulently, according to Senate Audit Report.
The move is aimed at strengthening the value of Belizean nationality.
“We want to ensure that citizenship is not merely a transaction, but a commitment to our nation’s values and community.”
Government Spokesperson
