PHILIPSBURG:--- Since taking office, the Honorable Minister of Justice, Ms. Anna E. Richardson, has made a commitment to address all matters related to immigration management on Sint Maarten.
On Thursday, April 29th, 2021, a Ministerial Decree was officially put into effect to strengthen the guidelines and protocols of the Immigration & Border Protection laws as stipulated in the National Ordinance.
Given the significance of the implementation and its effects, these amendments and the processes that follow were met with both criticism and questions. Minister Richardson stated that “it is natural to be faced with such resistance, which is why it is important to provide clarity on the steps taken”. Based on an assessment conducted by the legal team and the management of Immigration and Border Protection (IBP) Services, it was concluded that the disapproval of the amendments is a result of a lack of knowledge and information regarding the immigration laws and policies that govern the role; the responsibility and most importantly; the authority of IBP. As such, in an effort to clarify misinformation and to provide insights, a two-hour information session will be held on Monday, May 31st, 2021.
Due to COVID-19 protocol safety measures, the information session will be limited to National Association representatives on Sint Maarten only. Each country’s National Association can be represented by two attendees; the President of the National Association, along with a recognized official representative of that country’s National Association. The objective of this information session is to provide clarity and educate the representative(s) on the immigration laws and the amendments. Ultimately, the information session is geared towards equipping all National Associations with the right information so that they can act on their responsibility of further educating their fellow nationals who seek to migrate to Sint Maarten.
We are asking your assistance in distributing this flyer to raise awareness of this information session and reach all relevant parties on the island. All National Association representatives are asked to visit the website of the Ministry of Justice; www.ministryofjustice.sx, go to the “Events” tab, and click on the Immigration Law & Policy tab and complete the application form. After your registration is submitted, you will be contacted by a member of the department to guide you through the rest of the process.
