Philipsburg:--- Minister of Justice Magali Jacoba and all stakeholders including the islands leaders met on Tuesday to discuss and re-work the Brooks Tower Accord which was to be implemented last month. Minister of Justice Magali Jacoba who is on St. Maarten on a follow up visit said the stakeholders met on Tuesday and they are to submit their concerns which would be used to ajust the Brooks Tower Accord which was signed by all the Lt. Governors of the Netherlands Antilles and the Minister of Justice in 2007. One of the things the islands have to say is whether or not they have adequate manpower and finance and other logistics to implement this policy. She said lot of work still has to be done before the policy goes into effect. Another thing she said has to be clear is the vision on each island and their input is needed. Another meeting she said is to be held on Saturday in Curacao where a decision would be taken on how the policy would be implemented.
Jacoba said it is her belief that several persons are confused with the Brooks Tower because they believe it is the one that was signed in 2007 that will be implemented. She said the current brain storming is to see what would be the effects on each of the islands when this policy which is geared at regulating the undocumented is implemented. Jacoba said they would be using some of the conditions of the 2007 policy to form the new policy which she said will be published when it is ready. This new policy she said would be simplified and would be adapted to the current situation on each island.
The Minister could not give a definite date as to when this policy would be implemented however, she said it is clear that both Curacao and St. Maarten wants this policy to be implemented as soon as possible. One of the concerns for the Minister is if the islands has enough manpower and infrastructure to implement this policy. Jacoba said the new Immigration and Naturalisation Building is to handle the processing of residents permits. She made clear that to implement the Brooks Tower a new organization has to be set up.
