Philipsburg:--- Senator George Pantophlet feels that St. Maarten would soon have to decide how it would deal with the undocumented when she attains her new status. The senator and island councilman said on a daily basis persons have been visiting his office seeking information as to how they can regulate their status but in many instances the laws on admission and expulsion does not allow many persons to regulate their statuses.Pantophlet in a press release gave an account of three women with ten children bearing Dutch nationalities but none of these women are legal and are not able to regulate their statuses. Even worst, all three of them he said are working and their employers are not doing what is necessary to make sure their employees are regulated and resides legally on the island.
In the first scenario the island councilman said the first woman came to the island 15 years ago to join her mother who has been living on St. Maarten for the past 28 years and is a holder of the Dutch passport. Pantophlet said this person worked for several businesses but none of them found it necessary to obtain a working and or residency permit. He said at age 24 this person got married to someone that was born in the Netherlands Antilles and they have four children. The councilman said for some reason the father and husband of this woman never requested a residency permit for his wife and neither is he willing to regulate his children status at the civil registrar. These children Pantophlet said is yet to receive their Dutch passport, while the woman is doing her best to regulate her status under the Brooks Tower Accord.
In case two the senator said the woman has been residing on St. Maarten for the past ten years and has been married for over seven years. This family he said now have three children and her husband did request her residency permit which was granted on a number of occasions. Pantophlet said when the woman husband made the last request of extension he left the island and not returned. He said due to that the woman could not pick up her permit when it was approved simply because her husband was not on island. This person too is trying to register under the BTA.
As for case three he said the woman came to the island at an early age and she even completed her secondary education on St. Maarten. This person he said was also married and has three children and had residency under her husband. However, this couple is now divorced and the woman is now undocumented. The senator said that while the time for registering for the BTA expires on December 15 it does not address all scenarios. The senator further explained that under the current situation of these women can apply for permanent residency even though they are mothers and care givers for Dutch children.
Pantophlet said on several occasions he wrote letters and even made suggestions as to how St. Maarten can handle the issue of the undocumented but all of his suggestions and letters went neglected which resulted in the problems St. Maarten faces today with the undocumented. The senator said by 10/10/2010 St. Maarten would achieve its country status and the time to begin dealing with this matter is now.
