Philipsburg: --- Minister of Justice Magali Jacoba requested that all immigration controls be put on hold until the end of the registration process of the Brooks Tower Accord. Tiara Hasselhoef told reporters on Wednesday that even though over 400 persons showed up at the Immigration and Naturalization office on Tuesday they were people who are skeptical of registering thinking that the process is just another hoax and the information provided maybe used against them. Due to this, the Minister she said sent a letter to all Lt. Governors informing them that they should not conduct organized immigration control for now.
Hasselhoef said of the 400+ persons who visited the office on Tuesday only 18 of them were qualified for the Brooks Tower Accord. Hasselhoef said several persons went to them requesting information while some of them did not have the required documents to apply for the one-year permit, which will be granted in two weeks time.
Hassehoef said they managed to structure the process on Tuesday, by sending away persons who did not have all their documents in order. She said numbers were given to some 170 persons but only 18 of them were qualified during the first phase of the screening. All applications that are accepted during this registration process will be sent to the advisors who would determine if the applicants qualified to receive the special residency permit.
Those persons who contacted the office on Tuesday and did not have the required documents were given a checklist and were given the opportunity to get their documents and to check back with the office. Those persons who are going back for the second time to submit documents would not have to join the line to obtain a number since the office is also in possession of the checklist given to each applicant. Hasselhoef made clear that after the six weeks process the justice ministry would not be tolerating illegal immigrants on the islands; instead, the controls would become more aggressive. She said this process is costing the Central government some 1.4 million guilders 700,000 of which are spent on St. Maarten, thus persons residing on St. Maarten illegally should contact them to register and to get an opportunity to legalize their status. When the one-year permit is granted to those qualified, she said these persons can then travel back to their country of origin to get the required documents to apply through the normal procedures.
Persons who do not qualify for the Brooks Tower would have until February 28, 2011 to leave St. Maarten. While the Minister does not consider this period a grace period Hasselhoef said that everyone will be getting a fair chance to leave if they do not meet the requirements. She said every illegal immigrant worked on the islands and they contributed to the economic development on the island they lived. Thus the Minister has taken note of that and would be giving them ample time to pack up and leave.
Hasselhoef confirmed that the Ministry is following the guidelines of the Brooks Tower Accord that was signed on March 2 2007 and that nothing in the policy has changed. Persons whose applications were accepted will be given a receipt to show that they have requested a residency permit under the Brooks Tower Accord.
In the lines on Wednesday were several persons that are working for reputable companies on St. Maarten. SMN News reporter spoke to one family who has been living on St. Maarten since 1992. Speaking on the condition of anonymity the man said he came to St. Maarten in the year 1992 and has been working ever since then with the same construction company. He said the company files for his documents but each year they would submit his documents late. The man said due to that he could not sign for himself. “Right now my documents expired and when I went to submit the renewals I am told I have to go through the Brooks Tower process. I have papers since 1997 but there are gaps in each of them.”
SMN News also spoke to another person who said she worked at a particular company since 1997 to 2005 and today her documents expired and she has to follow the same process as those who never had documents.
Addressing this issue Hasselhoef said persons whose documents expired over four months have to go through the process of the Brooks Tower Accord. She said that there might be people who have to go through the regular process but that would only be determined when they check the applicant’s documents.