So I've got this uncle that has been living in Belize for over 20 years. He landed in Belize back in 1991 with a Nigerian Passport (back when our passport was still respectable) and has lived there since then. However, he has been living in the country even since after his visa had expired at the time and was too afraid to extend his stay. Is he eligible to apply for a passport now after all these years? And will the Belizean passport benefit his travelling around the EU nations? I've been getting different answers from the net after intense research. An answer would be appreciated, thanks.

HotAsIce:
So I've got this uncle that has been living in Belize for over 20 years. He landed in Belize back in 1991 with a Nigerian Passport (back when our passport was still respectable) and has lived there since then. However, he has been living in the country even since after his visa had expired at the time and was too afraid to extend his stay. Is he eligible to apply for a passport now after all these years? And will the Belizean passport benefit his travelling around the EU nations? I've been getting different answers from the net after intense research. An answer would be appreciated, thanks.

I have been to Belize couple times with my significant other on vacation.

Look at the link below.. It says that holders of Belize passport can travel to UK as tourist with no need of a visa.. They can stay for up to 180 days with entry stamp granted on arrival..
[url][/url]https://united-kingdom.visahq.com/requirements/Belize/

Belize was a british colony and the only country in central America that speaks english.. They formally used the Belize Pound which has a picture of the queen of england on it.. Its the Belize dollar now and may still have the queen on it.. I was there in 1999 last..
Belize is a rather rural and simple country, easy to survive but not so much to offer to make it big unless you bring something big to invest or do business internationally.. I have been to belize and all the countries surrounding it.. My first time was flying to belize and then by land to cross into Guatemala.. I also took a bus from belize to the mexican border and crossed into mexico and back..

Belize has a very significant Black population, and it is very easy for an african or Nigerian to blend in well there.. Also it is a rather loose country and it is possible to find a way to get a real passport issued.. So many rural people who live in places no more developed than some villages in Africa. And so they would have no birth certificate or official record other than ties to a local family.. Then they go about later in life acquiring a birth certificate and other documents to build their identity for the record and then get a passport..
I am not sure how naturalizing legally goes there, but it is certain under any immigration law that if he has long overstayed his official entry, he is subject to deportation if he presents himself to immigration for any reason...
If he presents himself with documents claiming to be Belize born & trying to get a passport, it may get him in deeper trouble as they will have record of his original entry and they may find photos and maybe Facial biometrics or finger prints if they took those upon his arrival..

His only legal option is to find a way to leave the country voluntarily or present himself to immigration for deportation and or possible fines to pay per period of overstay of his visa.. Also he is very much at risk of imprisonment if he cannot pay the fines.. Most of those countries have a flat rate that does not exceed hundreds of dollars, Belize showed a case of an american being fined $1000 for staying just a few weeks over...And then you must leave the country and be banned for a period of 1 year or maybe more depending on the country..
It also disqualifies him from counting his previous illegal time there towards gaining a passport there... Marriage or significant wealth can make it happen almost anywhere.. Belize requires that a person have 5 years of legal residency status in belize with record of the legal residency status at immigration.. After 5 years, they can apply for a belize nationality and passport.. Also Marriage will grant immediate nationality rights...see this web site for details
[url][/url]http://www.belize.com/residency-and-citizenship-in-belize

The truth is that many people come undocumented from around the carribeans and central america to Belize and they settle there and take on a local identity as belizean because its low population and much rural setting everywhere.. They may even find it easy to decalre themselves native belizeans and get issued belizean passports despite coming originally from maybe Haiti or other parts.. Speaking english like a belizean is the sure way to blend in..They suspect people with spanish accents and french accents...
Crossing borders with no documents is easy in central and south america.. They even make it up to the mexico USA border and cross with no documents.. Many get caught and many others make it across and get work and even get i.d. cards and drivers licenses...
So belize is quite easy compared to the ones trying to enter USA, and would be easy for him to stay there undocumented and safe.. Speaking english is the #1 way to blend in in belize, all the surrounding countries speak spanish and the carribean ones speak english,french and island pidgin like jamaican english... They speak the Jamaican style english in Belize...

It would be worth it to explore exiting the country and even paying the fines so as to come back for a legitimate entry and earn a passport by 5 year residency or marriage.. 20 years there, he would naturally have found a woman worthy to marry? Any way, Nigerian passport reputation these days will be a considerable factor working against him ever having a chance to work it out..


Nigeria passport in 2015 is the real issue... I would say he is safe to stay there and live out his life, but as soon as he tries to do anything that involves immigration, he is very much at risk of hefty Fines, prison and deportation and permanent ban because of Ngeria passport reputation around the world....
Looking to go to UK from there could face him with risking much worse than he has already and then back to nigeria after 20 years estranged..
research well and understand that any move he makes is illegal because already his stay there is illegal.. The overstay is not a serious crime, but it is always waiting to get deeper if he tries to reach for more benefit of being there illegally...
If i was him, after 20 years, i would have met people with connections to immigration there, to ask immigration officers and legal specialists on my behalf what my prospects were for the situation... They can tell people more clearly what the penalties are and what remedies can possibly be accepted to clear up the sistuation with the least amount of suffering..