Poverty & Social Development: A Caribbean Perspective

Population figures
The figures quoted by Minister of Justice David Dick concerning the composition of St. Maarten’s population (see yesterday’s edition) may not be altogether precise; they do not lie. Even if the number of illegal residents would prove to be considerably less than Dick’s 20,000, it is clear that the island is faced with an enormous challenge. Mind you, not only because of the “illegal problem,” but more because of the registered 50,000. Of that number only 50 per cent holds a Dutch passport and of those only a small number can claim to be “born here” St. Maarteners. The other 25,000 are foreigners holding the required papers to reside on the island mostly for a limited time span.

Full Article