Immigration’s investigative arm now falls under police

August 27, 2016

PHILIPSBURG–The investigative arm of the country’s Immigration and Border Protection Services has been placed under the Police Force, as had been the case in the past.

Nationale Algemene Politie Bond (NAPB) St. Maarten police union describes the decision as a “major accomplishment.”
Justice Minister Edson Kirindongo signed the ministerial decree on Wednesday moving the investigative arm of the immigration under the police. The immigration officers who do investigations will remain at their current locations, but will now be reporting to the Chief of Police. Authorities have a month to put the necessary mechanisms in place for this new measure to fully go into effect, Kirindongo told The Daily Herald on Friday. More than 60 immigration officers are believed to fall under immigration’s investigative arm and will fall under this decision.
In the meantime, the NAPB is happy with this development. “The union sees this as a major accomplishment. There have been speculations pertaining to the benefits of returning to the KPSM (police force). Although the bigger picture is somewhat unclear, the unions alongside the Minister of Justice can assure that this decision was made in the benefit of everyone involved,” NAPB said on Friday.