WILLEMSTAD - Refugees who rely on protection according to Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) will receive a faster reply.
"A professional has been hired to coordinate the process, which shortens the waiting time," said Justice Minister Quincy Girigorie during recent budget debate in parliament. Article 3 ECHR prohibits expulsion to a country where a person runs a real risk of torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
In addition, the minister announced that next year the foreigners' barracks will be expanded to a capacity of 75, for both men and women. A recreation room will also be added. This expansion is being financed by the Netherlands for an amount of 3.5 million guilders. Because the problem of the Venezuelan refugees will not always remain that way and the minister and the Netherlands hope that better times will also come for the South American country, the intention is that at a later stage, with fewer foreign nationals, the new building will be a 'halfway house' and can be used for young prisoners who can then be better prepared for their return to society.
Regarding the current situation of the Venezuelan refugees, Girigorie explains that there is now a humanitarian charter flight to that country once a month that allows the arrested and detained refugees to return at the expense of the government. Also for people who want to return on a voluntary basis but they will fly at their own expense. "These voluntary return travelers do not receive a removal order and can always return if they have a residence permit," the minister added. “Furthermore, it is agreed that we will mainly pursue a discouragement policy. At the moment undocumented people who are already on the island are not being arrested and detained due to the corona crisis and lack of capacity. People are arrested who intercepted on a boat,” the minister explains.