PHILIPSBURG:--- The Head of Immigration of Sint Maarten, Mr. Jocelyn Levenstone has taken swift action to investigate an incident involving an immigration officer and an arriving local resident at the Immigration office located at the Bobby’s Marina on November 19, 2023. An altercation was made public, and the Ministry of Justice was immediately notified. Both the Head of Immigration and Border Control and Management are committed to addressing the matter with the utmost priority and confidentiality.
The Head of Immigration emphasizes his commitment to making sound decisions based on the facts brought forward by the comprehensive investigation, now underway. Proper measures will be taken as per the outcome of the investigation to address all involved, and to safeguard against any such reoccurrence. A thorough analysis will be made considering the requirement to conduct proper border controls and the interests of Border Control officers executing their function. In addition, the overall impact of the incident will be analyzed within the legal context as well as the circumstance under which the incident occurred, with due consideration of the interests of visitors and returning residents to the country.
While the investigation and proper measures are executed, it must be underscored that any attempts by external parties to exploit this isolated incident to stir up public animosity among the workers and by extension, our population, will not be condoned. The focus remains on addressing the unfortunate matter at hand and ensuring that appropriate actions are taken to uphold the integrity of immigration procedures.
The public is assured that the Head of Immigration and Border Control and Management are dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and accountability within the immigration service.
