I came to Curaçao with the intention of working hard to improve my life and support my family back home. Unfortunately, I, along with several friends who share the same goal, have fallen victim to individuals and companies that are taking advantage of us. 

I want to name those responsible to ensure they are held accountable and that the exploitation of immigrants like us is stopped. I was employed by Shirley Nita of First Impression Services as a Housekeeping Manager for Papagayo Beach Hotel. I was assured that my work permit would be processed by Mr. Angelo Winklar, and I was required to pay 1,250 NAF for the application process. I also paid 655 NAF to MCB for the process of the resident permit. Despite being promised a managerial role, I was paid 15 NAF per hour and expected to perform duties far beyond my job description, including working as a houseman and cleaning rooms. 

Deductions were made from my salary towards the work permit, which was supposedly submitted in November 2023. Despite numerous requests, I never received a copy of the permit. I eventually resigned from First Impression Services and Papagayo Beach Hotel due to the excessive workload and lack of fair compensation. 

Following this, I applied to Sandals Royal Curaçao, informing them that my work permit was in process. They agreed to hire me and claimed they would follow up on the permit. However, during my two months of employment, I received no updates, and deductions were taken from my salary for NIS and taxes. My attempts to contact Angelo for an update were ignored. I was eventually dismissed from Sandals after reporting the abusive behavior of the Housekeeping Manager to the Rooms Division Manager, who then gave me a low evaluation, leading to my termination. 

After seeking information from the Ministry of Labor, I learned that employers are not allowed to make salary deductions for work permits or SVB contributions. Despite this, my friends and I have been subjected to these unlawful practices by companies such as First Impression Services, Amazing Cleaning, and Sandals Royal Curaçao. These companies falsely claim they are processing work permits to get us to start working, only to deduct money from us without ever submitting the necessary paperwork. 

We are unable to report this to the police out of fear of being detained, while those exploiting foreign workers continue to operate with impunity. I have lost thousands of guilders and have been forced to leave Curaçao because my residency was denied due to the absence of a work permit. 

We want to expose these companies for their exploitation. We came to Curaçao with the hope of improving our lives, following the laws and paying the required fees, only to be deceived and left with nothing. 

Note: The opinions expressed in this letter are solely those of the author and were emailed to Curaçao Chronicle. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this news site.