BTA Applicants Must Pick Up Permits by June 15.

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Philipsburg: ---Applicants of the Brooks Tower Permits (BTA) who have not yet picked up their permits now have until June 15 to pick up their permits at the Philipsburg Police Station. Tiara Haselhoef advisor to the Minister of Justice told members of the media on Tuesday that all the permits have been signed and are ready to be picked up. Haselhoef said that they do not intend to make any more publications and those persons who does not pick up their permits will definitely have to deal with their statuses because as of June 16th the BTA application declaration would expire, while all permits not picked up by June 16 will become invalid. Persons who did not report to the police station to pick up their refusals would also have to leave the island by August 31, instead of having the six months grace period.
Persons picking up their permits must have a valid passport, two passport size photographs, valid medical insurance policy and their deposit payment.
The BTA project group processed some 4132 applications during the November 3 to December 15 registration, while the Steering Group processed 975 applications.
Haselhoef said some 1936 persons received the category 1 permits, 1143 category 2, the steering group she said issued 743 permits out of the 975 applications they received. Some 802 persons fell under the category 3 and should have left the island already, while 241 persons received a negative response on their application.
Haselhoef said the Minister of Justice is working on a new policy which is geared at helping the BTA holders to apply for their regular permit. She said the Minister wants to have the policy in place for July but unfortunately the different stakeholders did not send in their input to create the policy. Stakeholders had until May 31 to submit their suggestions but so far none of the islands did not comply with the request of the Minister. Haselhoef said the Minister is planning to hold a brainstorming session next week in order to gather information to formulate the new policy.