That the so-called Bosman Law restricting the right of Dutch Caribbean citizens to move freely to the Netherlands apparently lacks the necessary support in The Hague (see related article) is obviously good news. As the Kingdom of Netherlands knows only one Dutch nationality and passport, such a step would be questionable to say the least.
The reciprocity argument was again used by VVD member of the Second Chamber of Parliament Andre Bosman to defend his controversial initiative. However, limitations for the admittance of European Dutchmen on the islands to protect their small labour markets and economies have long since been relaxed to the point where such people only have to find a job or prove sustenance after six months.
VVD’s coalition partner PvdA even called the proposal “discriminatory,” basically signing its death sentence despite the backing of opposition party PVV. The suggestion that Dutch passports should instead be used to treat everyone equally was on the money.
That a few islanders tend to create problems especially in big cities of the Netherlands cannot be denied, but that’s the case with other population groups too. The best way to address this is by better preparing beforehand those who go for a reason and dealing with issues that some face once they are there.
Today’s edition also has a story about Milton Peters College (MPC) and Sundial School exam students of St. Maarten on an orientation visit to the Netherlands so they can have an idea what to expect if they continue their education there. These are the kinds of things that will ultimately improve matters and help promote unity rather than division within the kingdom.
Source: Daily Herald
Unity rather than division
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