SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - Member of Parliament (MP) Egbert J. Doran has announced that he intends to pursue changes to Sint Maarten’s immigration laws to address situations where individuals involved in ongoing criminal investigations may be deported before those investigations are completed.
Doran raised the issue during the 2026 Budget Debate in Parliament, stating that he intends to bring the matter to the Justice Committee for further discussion.
The MP said the concern is particularly serious when an individual is deported to a country where Sint Maarten may not have an extradition arrangement, potentially creating difficulties if that person is later needed in connection with an investigation or criminal proceedings.
Doran said he wants Parliament and the Minister of Justice to examine whether the law can be amended to provide a legal mechanism to prevent deportation in specific cases where there is an active investigation and the person’s continued availability is necessary.
“This is something that I can work on as a Member of Parliament,” Doran stated, adding that he hopes to receive cooperation from across Parliament and from the Minister of Justice.
Doran stressed that the matter goes beyond politics and should be looked at from the perspective of victims and their families.
He pointed to the difficulty a family could face when something serious happens to a loved one and a person connected to the matter is deported before the investigation has been concluded.
For Doran, the intention is not to create a blanket restriction on deportations, but to examine and close what he considers a gap in the current legal framework while ensuring that any amendment includes the necessary legal safeguards.
The MP said he will take the matter forward through the Justice Committee and work on a proposal to determine how Sint Maarten’s immigration legislation can better address deportation when an active criminal investigation is still underway.
