WILLEMSTAD, THE HAGUE – According to Prime Minister Eugene Rhuggenaath, the conversations that are currently taking place in the Netherlands, in which critical comments are placed on the assistance that the Netherlands offers to Curaçao in the refugee crisis from Venezuela, are a positive development.

The prime minister states that the Venezuelans’ exodus can be compared to the situation in Syria. “That should not be underestimated. I therefore consider the attention that is now being paid in the Netherlands to the situation to be a positive development.”

According to the prime minister, the Kingdom must be better prepared for situations in which a large number of migrants enter the islands. “We have been warning for a long time that Curaçao’s capacity to receive migrants is not great. We are a small island with its own major challenges. We don’t even have enough for our own people, so we could not responsibly host large groups of migrants, as is the case in Colombia, for example. There they are taken care of and jobs are offered. Unfortunately, we cannot do that here,” says Rhuggenaath.

“The Kingdom must cooperate better in this area and provide each other more and better help and assistance. Clear agreements must be made. Although we have scenarios for, for example, a temporary reception of refugees, these migrants cannot stay here long. What happens to them then? Agreements must be made with other countries to which they may then go. This is something that we have submitted to the Netherlands before.”