Minister Hato fights for undocumented children

GENEVA, WILLEMSTAD - During the four-yearly Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Minister of Justice Shalten Hato (MFK) indicated that children of undocumented migrants should be given more facilities to support their integration. The minister himself reports this. The International Day of Rights of the Child will be considered worldwide on Sunday.  

 

The theme for the International Day of the Rights of the Child is this year "equality and inclusion for every child". A publication from Leiden University and the University of Curaçao shows that the rights of undocumented children in Curaçao are under serious pressure. The children often come from Venezuela.  

 

The research of the two universities indicates that on the basis of the current immigration law of Curaçao undocumented children have almost no access to the first necessities of life. In addition, there are hardly any reception places available, the children are not insured and a school is unreachable for some.  

 

Hato hopes that the statement he gave during the UPR hopefully leads to more access to facilities for undocumented migrants to promote their integration. In addition, the minister wants children born on the island to receive a residence permit, even if no birth registration is submitted.  

 

Curaçao is connected to the UN children's rights Convention. The Convention, which dates from 1989, consists of 54 articles with agreements about the rights of children and young people up to the age of 18. Just like the Netherlands, Curaçao has a joint duty to secure children with or without documents. However, the research shows that little of that joint duty does actually crystalize in Curaçao. 




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