News item | 06-06-2025 | 14:30
The Council of Ministers has agreed to establish a foundation that will help citizens in the Caribbean Netherlands with legal problems and discrimination. The foundation will be a permanent place where residents of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba can go for legal questions or problems and complaints about unequal treatment. The proposal to set up State Secretary for Legal Protection Struycken and Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Uitermark is presented to the Upper and Lower House for any questions for any questions. The foundation can then be established.
State Secretary Struycken: “Having access to law starts with a place where you can go with a legal question or problem. Such a place does not yet exist in the Caribbean Netherlands. The establishment of this foundation literally opens the door for the residents of the Caribbean Netherlands for help, advice and support for legal problems. This is how we ensure that the law is there for everyone, also in the Netherlands.”
Minister Uitermark: “The prohibition of discrimination is a fundamental right, also for the inhabitants of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba. And if they are confronted with discrimination, they must also be able to get accessible assistance, just like the inhabitants of the European Netherlands. That means: free, physical, accessible and with connection of this foundation, but also the living by a living, with a living, with a living by a living, with a living by a living by a living by a living by a living by the world, with a living area, with a living by the world, with a living area, with a living area, with a living area, with a living by the world, with a living by the life of the life, with a living by the living. Anti -discrimination provision is an important step for this. “
Access to justice and assistance with discrimination
In the Caribbean Netherlands, such a accessible provision for legal aid does not yet exist. The aim of the foundation is to improve the legal protection of citizens in the Caribbean Netherlands. Residents can contact the foundation for free with legal questions or problems and complaints about unequal treatment. An anti -discrimination provision is also placed with the foundation. Here people can report discrimination and they can get help and assistance. This is one of the steps that the cabinet is taking to ensure that the equal treatment laws also apply in the Caribbean Netherlands. For example, the foundation forms a similar counter such as the Legal Counter in the European Netherlands, but including the handling of complaints about unequal treatment.
Consultants will offer appropriate support in physical locations when looking for a solution to their problem or an answer to their question. In the coming period, the recruitment of a director-director and members of a Supervisory Board will start. After the founding, the recruitment of consultants and the search for suitable locations will be started.