Just 6,000 of the 27,000 people who made use of a 2007 amnesty for asylum seekers have taken Dutch nationality, according to refugee organisation Vluchtelingenwerk.The ruling, which applied to people whose cases had taken more than six years to process, also states they have the right to a Dutch passport …

The Daily Herald reports today that, last Friday, the new campaign to introduce and promote recycling on Saba was presented to the public during a Sea and Learn session. Friday’s presentation at the annual environmental awareness event was given by project leader for Waste Management at the Ministry of Infrastructure …

The Daily Herald reports today on the motion in which Members of Parliament (MPs) of St. Maarten unanimously adopted on Wednesday a motion rejecting the instruction handed down by the Kingdom Council of Ministers to Governor Eugene Holiday for the execution of a boundless and limitless investigation into the backgrounds …

The Daily Herald writes today that the Statia Island Council needed a special meeting on Sunday, October 19, to decide on the request of the Referendum Committee to hire three external experts for advice on the options on the ballot for the planned constitutional referendum. Only one out of three …

The Daily Herald writes that National Alliance NA) Member of Parliament (MP) Christopher Emmanuel said on Monday that he had been offered US $2 million for his parliamentary support as he stressed the point that St. Maarten had an integrity issue. Speaking in Parliament on Monday, Emmanuel said he had …

The Chairpersons of the First and Second Chamber, Ankie Broekers-Knol and Anouchka van Miltenburg began their working visit to the Caribbean part of the Kingdom on Sunday October 19th on Saba. They were warmly received by Island Governor, Jonathon Johnson and Kingdom Representative, Gilbert Isabella. Later in the evening there …

The Daily Herald writes this morning that the liberal democratic VVD party, the Labour Party PvdA and Socialist Party (SP) representing a majority in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament fully support the decision of the Kingdom Council of Ministers last week Friday to order a more thorough screening …

The Daily Herald reports that the Kingdom government has ordered a more stringent screening of St. Maarten’s incoming Council of Ministers. The Kingdom Council of Ministers decided on Friday to give St. Maarten Governor Eugene Holiday an instruction to hold off on the appointment of the ministers and prime minister …

Dutch News reports that in total, 2.5 million people out of almost 17 million live below the poverty line in the Netherlands – that is 14% of the population – according to a new report. But despite the economic crisis, this is only an increase of 1% over the past …

The Daily Herald reports today that the hotels in Saba will not obtain a reduction on real estate tax in 2015, Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk stated in a letter to the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament The Chamber Committee for Kingdom Relations had asked …

The Daily Herald reports today that Statia and Saba have shown that they are willing to cooperate to improve education on their island and to solve the problems at their secondary schools. These islands will receive additional funds. Bonaire on the other hand is not cooperating and has been warned …

Fire fighters of the Caribbean Netherlands Fire Department are on Saba attending two weeks training in rappelling from high elevations and learning various rope techniques. Three fire fighters from Bonaire two from Saba and St Eustatius each are undergoing the two week long intensive training. Firefighters attending this training are …

The Chairpersons of the First and Second Chamber, Ankie Broekers-Knol and Anouchka van Miltenburg, will be jointly making an introductory visit to the Caribbean part of The Netherlands from October 19th through October 25th. The purpose of the visit is getting to know the six islands better. It is the …

Human Trafficking is an international problem and is often invisible. What is human trafficking exactly? Human trafficking is (in the broad sense) the forcing of people to work, sexual exploitation or forced donation of  their own organs. What are the signals with this kind of crime? Signals concerning the crime …

The education quality in the Caribbean Netherlands was the main topic of the so-called “Algemeen Overleg” (General Discussion) on October 15th, between the Permanent Committee of Kingdom Affairs and State Secretary Sander Dekker (OCW) in the Second Chamber. The State Secretary was supported for this discussion by the Project Director …