WILLEMSTAD, ROTTERDAM – A Dutch court has ruled that a man residing in Curaçao can have his passport confiscated after failing to pay child support for years, with arrears totaling more than €98,000.
The decision was issued by the Rechtbank Rotterdam, following a request linked to long-standing non-payment of legally mandated contributions for the care and upbringing of his child.
The obligation dates back to 2012, when a Dutch court ordered the man to pay €455.85 per month. According to the Landelijk Bureau Inning Onderhoudsbijdragen (LBIO), he failed to meet this obligation over an extended period, allowing the debt to accumulate to nearly €100,000.
After multiple unsuccessful attempts to recover the funds, including enforcement measures such as debt collection and asset seizure, the LBIO requested that the man’s passport be flagged. This measure—considered a last resort—can be applied when there is a risk that an individual will evade payment, particularly if they reside outside the Netherlands.
When the man entered the Netherlands in December, his passport was confiscated by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee. He subsequently challenged the decision in court, arguing that he needed the document to return to Curaçao, where he claims to live.
The court rejected his request. According to the preliminary relief judge, the fact that the man resides abroad is precisely what justifies maintaining the measure. The court noted that he had not provided sufficient transparency regarding his financial situation, nor had he made any concrete proposal to repay the outstanding debt.
Given these circumstances, the court concluded that the risk of evasion remains significant. It emphasized that passport confiscation is an extreme measure but found it justified in this case, particularly since other enforcement tools had already failed.
As a result, the request to lift the passport restriction was denied, meaning the man is currently unable to travel.