THE HAGUE - The Dutch government must provide more assistance in the protection of refugees in Curaçao. This is apparent from the motion passed by Member of Parliament Sylvana Simons (BIJ1) during the Kingdom Relations budget debate. The Dutch House of Representatives has been asked to start an investigation into the improvement of refugee reception on the island.
The reason for the motion is the failure to comply with the international standards described in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). In most cases, people who have fled their country of origin do not receive legal aid on the islands and are often deported from the country without trial.
The motion also asks the government to enter into discussions with Curaçao, Aruba and Sint Maarten about the role human rights organizations can play to improve the situation.
The assistance of the House of Representatives consists of technical support to help the asylum seekers out of poor conditions and detention. Sixteen Venezuelans are currently detained in Curaçao. They have invoked the ECHR.
According to Curaçao law, these people cannot be detained, but the Pisas government does not intend to improve the situation for the time being.