THE HAGUE - On Monday, the Four-Party Judicial Consultation took place in The Hague with the Ministers of Justice of the Netherlands, Curaçao, Aruba and Sint Maarten. The countries have made agreements to intensify their cooperation on the deportation of migrants and repatriation.
The Justice Ministers meet twice a year to discuss a common approach to, among other things, organized crime, migration and border control. According to the kingdom government, an effective migration policy is of great importance for the entire Kingdom. As a result of the large influx of migrants from Venezuela since 2014, increasing attention is being paid to the issue, among other things, in the field of the deportation of migrants.
The aim is to establish a strong cooperation network that promotes a humane, transparent and efficient return process, with extra attention to sustainable reintegration and voluntary return. Agreements have also been made about the evacuation of children during and after a natural disaster within the Kingdom, in order to prevent child abductions. After Hurricane Irma in 2017, children were taken away without valid registration.
Furthermore, a new cooperation agreement has been concluded between the fire brigades of Curaçao, Aruba, Sint Maarten and the BES islands (Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba). The new guidelines for the judicial tasks of the Coast Guard have also been signed by the ministers to improve the exchange of information.