WILLEMSTAD - A group of nearly 300 Venezuelans has asked the Curaçao government to relax the conditions for their legalization procedure. Immigrants residing on the island were given 6 months on March 15 to get their necessary papers and permits in order. The deadline for this will expire on September 15.
According to the Venezuelans, the bureaucracy is too great, and the procedures take so long that 6 months is not enough to get the papers in order. Especially because of all the problems they have getting their documents from Venezuela.
The letter to the government mentions that health and life insurance is required for a temporary residence permit 'with an abnormally high premium' and that an employer does not always want to guarantee or even have the migrant sign so as not to pay social contributions. In addition, "a large proportion of Venezuelan immigrants have not been able to obtain a stamped birth certificate and a new passport or renewal from the Venezuelan consul or through foreign relations."
According to the Venezuelans, these government agencies in their country do not work efficiently leading to a delay of two to five months. And if a passport has expired, a statement from the Venezuelan consul and an additional $80 is required to reapply.
All information about the responsible integration program can be found on the website of the Curaçao Admissions Organization: "This project gives you as a person without documents the opportunity to reside legally in Curaçao." But there are a number of requirements for this. Only those who legally entered Curaçao before March 13, 2020, are eligible. In addition, the applicant must have proof of payment, a valid passport, a birth certificate that is not older than two years and a statement with which the employer acts as a guarantor.
According to the group of concerned Venezuelans, the conditions do not match what the immigrants experience in practice. They ask the Curaçao government to halve the preparation costs for a temporary residence permit and a work permit and to stop using intermediaries, especially when it comes to Venezuelans "who are in a vulnerable position given the situation in their country".