Illegal immigrant problem growing out of proportion~ Issue on agenda for meeting of Lt. Governors ~
Monday February 6, 2006 - Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, N.A.
PHILIPSBURG--The problem of illegal immigrants in the Netherlands Antilles is growing out of proportion and Justice Minister David Dick and his team will be discussing it at a meeting of Lt. Governors to be held here in St. Maarten Thursday and Friday.
While there are no reliable estimates of the number of undocumented persons in the Netherlands Antilles, it is believed in some circles that in St. Maarten alone that figure could be in excess of 20,000.
“There are too many illegals in the Antilles. Something must be done,” stated Herbert Coffi of the Justice Department. He is in charge of implementing the government’s immigration policy.
Immigration is a responsibility of the Central Government, but the implementation of immigration policies takes place on the island level. “This system never worked as it should.
Now we are trying to set up a new system that should give better results,” Coffi said.
And, contending that, basically the measures must prevent illegal transportation of people and international terrorism through the Antilles, he said immigration control was a complex matter that must take into consideration, “legal, social and economic aspects.”
It is hard to say how big the illegal immigration problem is, said Coffi. “Because they are illegal there are no official figures. During the grace period given in 2001-2002 about 8,000 illegals registered in St. Maarten. Those were the ones that had some sort of documentation,” he explained.
He continued: “You have to take into consideration that there is still a group that didn’t register and that they have family on the island who also didn’t register. So if you extrapolate the figure of 8,000, the estimation is that in St. Maarten there are about 20,000-30,000 illegals.”
New instructions for the immigration service were drawn up in 1999 and publicised in 2002, but never implemented. According to Coffi, Dick has decided to make this one of his primary issues.
But in the meantime changes were made in the administrative justice ordinance (LAR).
Immigrants acquired the right to go to court to appeal a decision of the government not to grant them a permit to reside in the Netherlands Antilles.
“In the court decisions the judge often criticised the way the applications of immigrants for permits were handed. Also the Judge decided, based upon international procedures, that an illegal immigrant who has stayed for more than five years in a country could almost not be denied a permit,” he explained.
In addition, he said, the court ratified the decision of the government about the income an immigrant must have to obtain a permit to stay in the Antilles.
Coffi emphasised that the instructions for the immigration service now had to be adapted according to decisions of the court that had become jurisprudence.
Copyright ©1998-2005 The Daily Herald
Monday February 6, 2006 - Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, N.A.
PHILIPSBURG--The problem of illegal immigrants in the Netherlands Antilles is growing out of proportion and Justice Minister David Dick and his team will be discussing it at a meeting of Lt. Governors to be held here in St. Maarten Thursday and Friday.
While there are no reliable estimates of the number of undocumented persons in the Netherlands Antilles, it is believed in some circles that in St. Maarten alone that figure could be in excess of 20,000.
“There are too many illegals in the Antilles. Something must be done,” stated Herbert Coffi of the Justice Department. He is in charge of implementing the government’s immigration policy.
Immigration is a responsibility of the Central Government, but the implementation of immigration policies takes place on the island level. “This system never worked as it should.
Now we are trying to set up a new system that should give better results,” Coffi said.
And, contending that, basically the measures must prevent illegal transportation of people and international terrorism through the Antilles, he said immigration control was a complex matter that must take into consideration, “legal, social and economic aspects.”
It is hard to say how big the illegal immigration problem is, said Coffi. “Because they are illegal there are no official figures. During the grace period given in 2001-2002 about 8,000 illegals registered in St. Maarten. Those were the ones that had some sort of documentation,” he explained.
He continued: “You have to take into consideration that there is still a group that didn’t register and that they have family on the island who also didn’t register. So if you extrapolate the figure of 8,000, the estimation is that in St. Maarten there are about 20,000-30,000 illegals.”
New instructions for the immigration service were drawn up in 1999 and publicised in 2002, but never implemented. According to Coffi, Dick has decided to make this one of his primary issues.
But in the meantime changes were made in the administrative justice ordinance (LAR).
Immigrants acquired the right to go to court to appeal a decision of the government not to grant them a permit to reside in the Netherlands Antilles.
“In the court decisions the judge often criticised the way the applications of immigrants for permits were handed. Also the Judge decided, based upon international procedures, that an illegal immigrant who has stayed for more than five years in a country could almost not be denied a permit,” he explained.
In addition, he said, the court ratified the decision of the government about the income an immigrant must have to obtain a permit to stay in the Antilles.
Coffi emphasised that the instructions for the immigration service now had to be adapted according to decisions of the court that had become jurisprudence.
Copyright ©1998-2005 The Daily Herald
