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Brooks Tower Accord period starts today
by The Daily Herald
Posted: Nov 3, 2009 14:51 UTC
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PHILIPSBURG - The Brooks Tower Accord, the one-time undocumented-immigrant amnesty programme, starts today, November 3.
Websites in three languages promoting the agreement’s “Let’s Do It Right” motto went online Friday. Justice officials hope thousands of persons residing illegally in St. Maarten, Curaçao and Bonaire will apply for legal stay.
Undocumented persons living here can register at the new Immigration and Naturalisation Department (IND) building from 4:00pm. They have six weeks – until December 15, after which the Central Government has promised to intensify Immigration controls.
Only persons living here before 2006 qualify and only those who have been here since before December 31, 2001, can request the one-year Brooks Tower Accord residence permit on their own. Persons who arrived between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2005, need their employers to sign on their behalf.
“With your permission” is the theme Central Government authorities have given the Brooks Tower Accord period. The Websites carry the same name in English (http://withyourpermission.an), Spanish (http://consupermiso.an), Papiamentou (http://kubopermit.an) and Dutch (http://metuwtoestemming.an). The Dutch site was launched two weeks ago.
Antillean Justice Minister Magali Jacoba assured residents two weeks ago that the time between submitting a request and receiving the permit would be short.
The agreement was signed on March 2, 2007. The islands agreed to allow undocumented persons to become temporary legal residents, hoping they would either follow normal channels or leave.
The Brooks Tower Accord offers a temporary permit. Authorities expect recipients to request a new permit next year or risk deportation.
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