Philipsburg:--- Minister of Justice Magali Jacoba expressed her disappointment about an article published on SMN News regarding the Brooks Tower Permits. The Minister felt that the information is meant to discredit her efforts to legalize the undocumented and those that worked on the project.While State Secretary for Justice Ernie Simmons said that there might be people who would prefer human smuggling rather than regulating the undocumented. He felt that there are persons who would prefer St. Maarten to stay in a negative light but the intentions of the Justice Ministry was to regulate the undocumented. Simmons said there are several older persons and young children who could not get into schools because of their illegal status.
The State Secretary said there are young people who completed their education on St. Maarten and yet they are not able to find a job here due to their status. He felt there are people who are preying on the undocumented but the justice department is bent on regulating the immigration situation.
Jacoba said some 5,000 persons who met the category 1 and 2 managed to receive a BTA permit. The Minister said she is quite satisfied with the process even though there were ups and downs and those that were not satisfied with the process. She said the BTA has opened a door for the undocumented to regulate their status.
However, she admitted that she is currently meeting with stakeholders to develop a policy that would allow the holders of the category 1 permits to sign for themselves. Jacoba said the first round of discussions was held on Wednesday on St. Maarten and she still has to meet with all the Lt. Governors of the Netherlands Antilles to develop the new policy which would be implemented in July 2010. Jacoba said when the BTA was launched they agreed to allow persons who are living on the island before 2001 to get their permits without proof of income simply because with the proof of being on the island that long showed they survived. She said even though St. Maarten and Curacao is becoming countries they all have to take a decision as to how to deal with the persons who fall under category 1. "If you ask me we have to take in consideration that those people survived here all those years and we need to see what to do about them." State Secretary Ernie Simmons said he wants to know if they need to remain in denial about the existing problems regarding the undocumented or should they come up with a policy to solve the problems once and for all so that this situation does not reoccur. He said all stakeholders were asked to give their input so that the discussion can take place to create the new policy.
Persons who received the BTA permits are urged to get their documents together and to go to the immigration and naturalization building to begin the process to receive a regular residency permit.
