PHILIPSBURG--The impact of retracting Dutch nationality from a naturalised citizen and the automatic expiration of the Dutch passport and identification card in the interest of national security is a cause for concern among Members of Parliament (MPs) serving on Parliament’s Permanent Committee for Kingdom Relations and Inter-Parliamentary Affairs.
MPs acknowledged the important of national security risks, but pointed out in Wednesday’s Committee session that there is no defined line about the retraction and expiration of travel and identification documents. The concerns about the two pending kingdom laws rest on the fact that retraction can be carried out without the person receiving a criminal sentence by the court.
Independent MP Leona Marlin-Romeo questioned how these laws, which Parliament has been asked to comment on by the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament, will work for St. Maarten when someone’s Dutch nationality is retracted. She requested that the Justice Minister be called to Parliament to explain the impact of the laws and how the country will cope.
Marlin-Romeo said people whose Dutch nationality is taken away can easily become stateless, if their country of birth does not allow them to regain their former nationality. In such a scenario, the stateless person would become St. Maarten’s problem.
Commenting on the basis for the laws – the global rise in jihadism and terrorism, Marlin-Romeo questioned whether St. Maarten was paying attention to potential risks at home. She said the country is not isolated.
United People’s (UP) party MP Franklin Meyers asked about the safeguards that are in place, if any, to ensure neither of the laws are used to target people on St. Maarten for other purposes than national security. He also questioned if the laws do not infringe on human rights. Both laws seek “to denationalise” people.
Meyers queried how the automatic expiration of the ID card will work in St. Maarten where the law requires everyone, starting from age 12, to always carry an ID card. He also voiced concern about the idea of a special ID card for people whose Dutch ID automatically expired under the pending law. He said the granting of a special ID has elements of apartheid in South Africa.
Independent MP Cornelius de Weever concurred with the concerns of fellow MPs. He added that a challenge will be the actual implementation of the law and prevention of interference by politicians, “such as the Prime Minister,” in its execution.
Committee Chairman George Pantophlet (National Alliance) said an invitation will be sent to the Justice and Finance Ministers to attend a committee meeting to address the concerns of MPs about both kingdom laws.
MPs also took note of the pending ratification of the inter-governmental agreement between Curaçao and the United States on the Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). Democratic Party (DP) MP Sarah Wescot-Williams told fellow MPs the impact of FATCA needs to be further looked into especially how commercial banks are faring with compliance. She has already requested a meeting of Parliament’s Finance Committee on this subject with bankers and Finance Minister Richard Gibson present.
MPs agreed to send two special delegates to next week’s sitting of the Dutch Second Chamber in which the law to increase the number of years required for naturalisation from five to seven will be discussed. Independent MP Maurice Lake proposed MPs Wescot-Williams and Meyers as Parliament’s special delegates. Their attendance needs to be ratified in a Central Committee meeting.
Prior to the suggestion of her name, Wescot-Williams said Parliament “should not break our neck to send a delegation” for this law, but should review each future request for special delegates on the impact of each kingdom law on St. Maarten.
While MPs Frans Richardson (United St. Maarten Party), De Weever and Lake were in agreement about sending a delegation, Pantophlet reminded the Committee that next week Parliament is schedule to start handling the draft 2016 budget in a plenary session of Parliament.
Rounding off Wednesday’s Committee discussions was preparation for the upcoming Inter-Parliamentary Kingdom Consultations IPKO at the end of May. Government has to submit its progress reports and feedback on various topics to Parliament based on the decision list of the IPKO held in St. Maarten in January.
Also related to IPKO, MP Lake will replace former MP, now Prime Minister William Marlin on IPKO workgroup for energy and climate change and MP Wescot-Williams will serve in the workgroup on youth and education.
