Children under 12 also
need visas to visit here
~ Minister announces change in policy ~
PHILIPSBURG--Children under twelve years travelling either with or without their parents now need visas to enter St. Maarten if they originate from countries whose citizens are required to have visas to visit St. Maarten.
In announcing this Monday, Local Chief of Police Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards called on the general public to take keen notice of this important change in the visa policy for children under the age of 12 who wish to enter St. Maarten.
The policy in question was recently made known by means of Publication Sheet 2007 no. 65, as officially released by the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Antilles dated August 31, 2007.
The document stipulates that the visa policy that exempted children under age 12 travelling with their parents from being required to have visas to enter St. Maarten has been changed.
What this means is that all children from certain countries under age 12 must have valid visas when travelling to St. Maarten, as is also required of any non-national adult person from these countries travelling to the island territory.
“With this change of policy, authorities are confident [that they] have addressed all uncertainties arising as of late as a result of the concerns reported in St. Maarten, when on at least two occasions, children of a non-national status travelled, without their parents, to St. Maarten. On these occasions, the children were not in possession of valid visas.”
The new visa policy, Richards explained, is especially intended for children under age 12 coming to St. Maarten from the Dominican Republic.
“Other destinations such as Jamaica and Guyana also pose a problem in this respect, but those countries are not, at present, subjected to the new visa policy, decreed by Netherlands Antilles Minister of Justice David Dick,” he said.
Richards stated that the Minister of Justice considered this policy desirable to prevent the trafficking and smuggling of children, by means of regulating the entry of minors of a foreign nationality.
“As such, it was decided, by ministerial decree of August 22, 2007, to amend the policy on admittance of non-nationals, entailing that the exemption from the visa requirement for minors up to the age of 12 is abolished.”
Taking into consideration article 3, first part, section 1, sub b, and article 3, second part, of the admittance policy, it has been decided that article 1, article 2, section c, of the admittance regulation is no longer applicable, Richards said.
