Attachments
Key Figures
23,122 Colombians and Venezuelans, including refugees and asylum-seekers, live in Aruba and Curaçao
564 Health care consultations were provided by UNHCR’s partner in Curaçao.
163 People, including survivors of violence, psychosocial support services.
Context
Aruba and Curaçao are two self-governing constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands but are not part of the European Union. While neither Dutch asylum law nor European Union directives apply to these nations, the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) does. The 1967 Protocol and the 1951 Refugee Convention apply to Aruba. Curaçao does not consider itself bound by these instruments.
In Aruba, the Government launched the Hunto pa Progreso programme to enable individuals with irregular status who arrived before 1 July 2025 to regularize their stay and access the labor market. The Department of Integration, Management, and Admission of Foreign Nationals (DIMAS) implements the initiative. UNHCR and its partners have supported the programme by informing vulnerable communities and explaining the application requirements.
In Curacao, the Joint Court of Justice ruled that entering the country irregularly does not provide a lawful basis for migratory detention. The Court emphasized that detention must be a last resort, and authorities must first consider less restrictive alternatives, unless there is a demonstrable risk of escape or threat to public order.