Attachments
Key Figures
Approximately 31,000 Venezuelan refugees and migrants live in Aruba and Curacao.
665 Individual primary health care consultations provided by UNHCR and partners in Curacao.
Aruba and Curaçao rank as the first and fourth countries in the world with the largest number of refugees compared to their local populations.
Context
Aruba and Curacao, two self-governing constituent countries of the Kingdom of Netherlands are autonomous but not part of the European Union. Neither Dutch asylum law nor European law and directives apply to these countries. The 1967 Protocol and the 1951 Refugee Convention do apply to Aruba. Curaçao does not consider itself bound by these instruments.
In Aruba, the Minister of Labour, Energy, and Integration introduced a parliamentary initiative to regularize undocumented people temporarily. A voting exercise yielded mixed results, with some actors supporting the proposal and others rejecting it, leaving no actionable solution.
In Curacao, the Minister of Justice announced a policy allowing Haitians residing in the country to stay even if their permits have expired. Undocumented Haitians who report to immigration authorities will not be deported. Given the widespread violence registered in Haiti, Curacao opted for a humanitarian approach to ensure Haitians’ safety.
The State Secretary for Kingdom Relations discussed the challenges of protecting refugees and migrants in Curaçao and the Netherlands’ supportive role. She noted that while protection policies are under the jurisdiction of Caribbean countries, the Netherlands collaborates to improve the situation.