WILLEMSTAD — Dutch National Ombudsman Reinier van Zutphen has called for urgent attention to the situation of undocumented migrants on Bonaire, warning that many live in vulnerable conditions marked by limited access to healthcare, labor exploitation, and excessive housing costs.
In a letter addressed to Minister of Asylum and Migration David van Weel, Van Zutphen links the situation on Bonaire directly to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. According to the Ombudsman, the country’s poor human rights, economic, and social conditions have forced at least 7.3 million people to flee in recent years, with some seeking refuge in the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Van Zutphen estimates that between 700 and 1,000 undocumented migrants currently reside on Bonaire. Many of them work in sectors such as construction, hospitality, hotels, and prostitution. Because they lack residence permits and health insurance, access to medical care is difficult. While emergency and essential care is provided, migrants are often left with bills they are unable to pay. Follow-up care, he notes, largely depends on the voluntary efforts of one or two general practitioners.
The Ombudsman further warns that undocumented migrants are highly dependent on their employers for income and working conditions, making them vulnerable to exploitation. Reported abuses include long working hours, unpaid or partially paid wages, and very low hourly rates. Housing conditions are another concern, with migrants frequently charged excessively high rents.
According to Van Zutphen, migrants on Bonaire also lack access to clear and accessible information about their rights and obligations. They are not eligible for free legal aid and have few avenues for assistance when problems arise. In practice, he says, they can only turn to Caritas, a church-based aid organization that offers basic support such as food, clothing, and a listening ear.
Van Zutphen emphasizes that this situation has persisted for years without meaningful improvement. He urges the Dutch government to address the structural vulnerabilities faced by undocumented migrants on Bonaire, stressing that the issue is not only one of migration policy, but also of human dignity and basic rights.
The Ombudsman had previously expressed concerns about the living conditions of Venezuelan migrants on Curaçao, and now calls for similar attention to the situation in the Caribbean Netherlands, warning that inaction risks allowing a humanitarian problem to deepen further within the Kingdom.