SAINT-MARTIN (MARIGOT) – “The Minister of Sint Maarten, Ms. Silveria Jacobs, informed me on Saturday morning, 16 May, of the decision of the Government of Sint Maarten to lift border control from Monday 18 May, with the containment phase ending on Sunday evening, 17 May, on the Dutch side,” the President of the Collectivite of Saint-Martin Daniel Gibbs said on Sunday in a statement.
The statement which was in French and translated with Microsoft Translator continues as follows:
During the pre-tripartite discussions at a tripartite meeting on Thursday 14 May, Prime Minister Jacobs had already expressed her desire to put an end to border controls with Saint-Martin, effective Monday, 18 May, when the local representative of the State, the prefect, wanted to continue these checks.
The Collectivite has no decision-making power in this matter. However, from the beginning of the crisis, as elected representatives of Saint-Martin, I, together with my First Vice-President Valérie Damaseau, participated in the weekly tripartite meetings in a spirit of cooperation and fraternity and in order to bring our vision to them.
“We therefore expressed to our counterparts, at this meeting on Thursday 14 May, our favourable opinion on the principle of stopping controls. We suggested to the appropriate authorities that their decision could take place later this week, based on the results of the latest screening campaigns of both parties, when the whole island has now begun the phase of de-disconfinement.
Following the official announcement by Minister Silveria Jacobs on Saturday morning following the vote on Parliament’s motion, I immediately contacted the Minister of Overseas Affairs, Ms. Annick Girardin, to explain the situation in Saint-Martin and to her the position of all the elected representatives of the Collectivite.
I therefore asked him, also by mail, that France end border controls, in harmony with Sint Maarten; even if the decision was made earlier than expected at a tripartite meeting.
The Collectivite plays its part in this cooperation between sovereign states, with the aim of harmonizing decisions as much as possible, in the context of this crisis.
But it is now up to the French state alone to take responsibility for border management.
Today, our common challenge with Sint Maarten is to revive the island’s economy and to pass the phase of deconfinment jointly. This is a challenge that we must face together, in the interest of the health of the inhabitants of both parts of the island. In a second phase, we will have to prepare together for the opening of international air borders to revive tourism on the island.
Saint-Martin and Sint Maarten are inseparable and must move hand in hand to face the deconfinement in the context of this health crisis, but also so that the people of the island can relive and resume their work and life habits, respecting the barrier gestures that are now part of our daily lives.
Border control was instituted for reasons of health emergency that are no longer needed today. Indeed, current health resources, both French and Dutch, have strengthened and must now be able to cope with the occurrence of new cases. The health situation of the island was managed jointly, in good intelligence, with a common will to cope, together.
Today, the government of Sint Maarten and the French state services, in collaboration with the Collectivite of Saint-Martin, must be able to continue to manage the future health situation together and take the necessary decisions when necessary.
Source: Souliga Newsday https://www.soualiganewsday.com/index.php?option=com-k2&view=item&id=31528:gibbs-it-is-now-up-to-the-french-state-to-take-responsibility-border-management-with-the-dutch-side&Itemid=450
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