It seems the option of sending inmates from St. Maarten’s overcrowded Point Blanche prison to the Judicial Institute JICN Caribbean Netherlands (JICN) in Bonaire no longer exists. They too face an acute shortage of cell space (see related story).
Main reasons are said to be an increase in drug-trafficking, gun-related incidents and population growth. However, the role of foreigners and mainly Venezuelans in smuggling activities, particularly on “yola” boats, is a big factor. The Prosecutor’s Office OM of the so-called BES islands (Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba) in Kralendijk has now decided – among other things – to expedite the deportation of Venezuelan suspects and convicts.
This directly involves the Dutch government in what Curaçao and Aruba have been dealing with for decades: The strain that a prolonged and deep socioeconomic recession in neighbouring Venezuela is putting on their limited law enforcement and other resources.
The two autonomous countries in the kingdom have faced much criticism from The Hague about how they handle this situation. It regards flows of crisis refugees but also many who facilitate the smuggling of these migrants, often combined with drugs.
Now Dutch authorities find themselves needing to cope with the same problem, balancing human rights against a need to secure the border and practical matters such as detention capacity. Rather than judging from the outside, they will be able to experience first-hand what it means.
