That only 8,652 of the 22,553 eligible voters for Thursday’s parliamentary elections were born in St. Maarten (see Thursday newspaper) proves its multi-cultural nature. These are persons with the Dutch nationality, mind you, not just legal residents.
On the other hand, 3,455 were born on the remaining five Dutch Caribbean islands and 1,098 in the Netherlands, so it’s not like these are from a completely foreign country. Among the latter, Guadeloupe is one of the biggest with 1,846 voters, which obviously has to do with the French side of the island.
It’s nevertheless common sense for several parties to nominate candidates among the expatriate communities from, for example, the Dominican Republic (1,401 voters). That also makes their list a better reflection of society.
One of the interesting points which came up during Wednesday night’s debate with all eight political leaders held by St. Maarten Institute for Public Policy Studies (SIPPS) was the value of being a true native. Both Nation Opportunity Wealth (NOW) and United People’s (UP) party argued that all persons born in St. Maarten should obtain residency automatically.
That is currently not always the case; for example, if the parents are not in the civil registry. This creates children who grow up and even go to school here while lacking any legal status, with all possible consequences down the road.
Of course, it might increase the risk of so-called “birth tourism” where pregnant women come from elsewhere deliver their babies here so these get local rights. However, this is seemingly outweighed by the aforementioned current problems.
Such residency by birth might not necessarily have to imply a Dutch Kingdom passport after five years, but could at least provide much-needed clarity and security for those involved regarding a place to call home.
