PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Omar Ottley, as the leader of the United Peoples Party(UPP), reiterates his commitment to ensuring children born in St Maarten to non-Dutch parents have lived in St. Maarten and contributed to our tax system for ten consecutive years will receive residency upon birth. "The reception from the public has been incredible. While the data is limited, as a Minister and MP, I have met many of our youth who are stateless or undocumented and unable to leave St. Maarten to further their studies abroad. Continuously met with roadblocks and missing out on crucial opportunities. If we are to "Save We,' it starts with our education system and ensuring that the children coming out of our secondary education system can experience the world to bring back valuable knowledge to St. Maarten. While some may see this as just protection of our children, this legislative amendment and crucial changes to other social, labor, and educational reforms is an investment into the youth of our country,” stated MP Ottley.
While many see just the crime and violence issue, MP Ottley also sees the deeper social issues that are the root causes of many of these acts of violence. With the current legislation allowing residency at only 16 years of age, our undocumented young adults must wait until they are 21 years of age to start the naturalization process to get a Dutch passport, as they need five consecutive residency permits to begin the process. Given the limited continuing education offered at St. Maarten, there is often no other choice than to continue the study elsewhere abroad. As the recent graduates have just left to embark on their educational journey abroad, MP Ottley can only imagine the number of our high school graduates who cannot leave.
According to the UNICEF report Situation Analysis on Children and Adolescents on Sint Maarten 2020, there is a growing number of undocumented migrants on the island. ‘Typically, undocumented migrants are young, lack formal education, and (due to their precarious status) live predominately in the shadows. They are hesitant to share their immigration status with officials, thus making it more challenging for this population to receive the information and support they may need to obtain health insurance and welfare benefits or enroll their children in school.
Attention to the undocumented and unregulated residence of children born in St. Maarten is essential to ensuring their rights and well-being. It offers the opportunity for legal recognition, access to essential services, and integration into society.
These provisions are essential for child development and promote social cohesion, economic stability, and compliance that meets international human rights standards, particularly children's rights. Growing up without legal recognition can lead to significant psychological adverse effects, including feelings of insecurity, fear of deportation, and negative self-image.
Undocumented children are vulnerable as they do not have equal access to public services, despite government measures to make such services available for undocumented children, such as education. Some interviewees indicated that despite this, practical barriers hinder children from accessing education. The 2016-2017 primary and secondary school registration systems reported the total of undocumented students to be at 962 (764 and 198 respectively). (MEYS source cited on page 70 of UNICEF report Situational analysis of children and adolescents in St. Maarten in 2020).”
With this amendment and future plans to work with the Netherlands to reduce the age of naturalization, we will ensure a smoother path to obtaining a Dutch passport for people who were born on St. Maarten and call our island their home.
MP Ottley's commitment to inclusive and responsible governance is reflected in these legislative efforts, ensuring that St. Maarten continues to uphold its values while addressing critical social issues.
