The Kingdom of the Netherlands and the International Protection of (Asylum) Migrants
Notification ‘The Kingdom of the Netherlands and the International Protection of (Asylum) Migrants’
The crisis in Venezuela is causing an increase in emigration. A small percentage of these emigrants travels to the countries Aruba and Curaçao and the island Bonaire, all part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. How are the responsibilities for international protection and migration allocated within the Kingdom? To what extent can countries in the Kingdom work together in this area? These are the questions addressed by the ACVZ in this notification.
The allocation of responsibilities in the Kingdom is arranged in the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The countries in the Kingdom have a large degree of autonomy in implementing their own migration policy and are therefore primarily responsible for this themselves. This autonomy is limited by obligations arising from international treaties and laws of the Kingdom (the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands and statute laws). The Kingdom may intervene if one of the countries fails to comply with international laws or violates human rights in the process of implementing its migration policy, provided that strict assessment criteria are met.
The Charter offers ample opportunities for countries in the Kingdom to cooperate in the area of international protection and migration. Although cooperation has been discussed since 2015, it is still modest in scope with regard to the protection and reception of Venezuelan migrants.
The notification does not include recommendations. In the accompanying letter to the Minister for Migration and the State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations however, the ACVZ offers to advise on the issue upon request of the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Also, the ACVZ could advise the government of the country the Netherlands on how best to deal with international protection and migration in the Caribbean countries and parts of the Kingdom.
For more information contact Sonja Avontuur (senior advisor) (+316 46840908) [email protected]
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