POND ISLAND: On April 29, a Ministerial Decree was officially put into effect to strengthen the guidelines and protocols of the Immigration and Border Protection laws.
Based on an assessment conducted by the Justice Ministry’s legal team and the management of Immigration and Border Protection (IBP) Services, it was concluded that the disapproval of the amendments is a result of a lack of knowledge and information regarding the immigration laws and policies that govern the role; the responsibility and most importantly; the authority of IBP.
To clarify misinformation and to provide insights, a two-hour information session will be held on Monday, May 31, according to Justice Minister Anna Richardson.
Due to COVID-19 protocol safety measures, the information session will be limited to national association representatives on Sint Maarten. Each country’s national association can be represented by two attendees: the president along another recognized official representative.
The objective of this information session is to provide clarity and educate the representative(s) on the immigration laws and the amendments.
National association representatives may register via the website of the Ministry of Justice: www.ministryofjustice.sx. When on the site, under “Events” click on the Immigration Law & Policy tab and complete the application form. After the registration is submitted, the representatives will be contacted by a member of the department who will guide them through the rest of the process.