News item | 05-12-2025 | 2:15 PM
Growing migration and aging on the islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba have major consequences for the local economy and prosperity. To meet these challenges, both the central government and local authorities will have to make tough choices in the coming years. Important points of attention are: tackling overdue maintenance of the infrastructure, ensuring a stable energy and fuel supply and preventing personnel shortages in crucial sectors such as healthcare and education. Migration offers opportunities, but also brings challenges. Integrated policy in the areas of healthcare, education and housing is therefore essential.
The cabinet writes this in a letter to the House of Representatives in response to the ‘Targeted Growth’ report from the State Committee for Demographic Developments in the Caribbean Netherlands 2050. This report outlines the expected population changes up to 2050 and makes recommendations for a future-proof policy. Both the State and the Executive Councils of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba agree with the conclusions of the State Commission.
Structural resources for investments needed
Demographic developments must therefore be taken into account when drawing up new policy. The government response lists actions that are necessary in both the short and long term. The government endorses the recommendations from previous reports by the Council for the Environment and Infrastructure (Rli), the Council for Public Administration (ROB) and the research agency AEF. They argue that long-term cooperation and structural resources are needed for investments in housing, better roads and accessibility. For example, the number of inhabitants on Bonaire has almost doubled in 15 years. From more than 15,000 in 2011 to almost 27,000 in 2025. This places increasing pressure on physical infrastructure, such as roads, waste processing and homes, and has led to a greater demand for energy.
Maintaining public facilities
For the medium and long term, the consequences of an aging population must be taken into account when making policy. For example, by investing in prevention, but also by investing in physical infrastructure, such as public transport and housing for the elderly. Good legislation and regulations for migration procedures are necessary to manage migration properly. Migration policy must aim to stimulate and strengthen economic development. The limited scale of the islands makes it more difficult to maintain public facilities. It is therefore important, among other things, to promote regional cooperation and to ensure that the educational supply on the islands is tailored to the demand on the labor market.
Data needed for policy adjustment
To increase the self-reliance of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, the government is already working on maintaining and increasing broad prosperity and getting basic facilities in order. Including by making administrative agreements with Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba on good governance, healthy public finances and digitalization. Preconditions for economic development have been created through the Regional Deals. The government has also made resources available for initiatives that contribute to food security. As more and more data becomes available, the policy has also been adjusted. This has led, among other things, to an increase in the discretionary benefit from the BES fund. The next cabinet will be advised to structurally monitor demographic developments and anchor them in policy.