PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister reiterated his belief that immigrant workers are vital to St. Maarten’s social and economic development.
“Immigrants are a great contributor to the society of St. Maarten on all levels,” he said.
“They contribute to the labor sector and also in the economy by living and spending here.”
Mercelina acknowledged challenges in immigration management, citing limited border control capacity and complex administrative systems. He emphasized that better organization and coordination between immigration and labor enforcement are key to ensuring that workers—particularly in construction—are not exploited.
“I am against the fact that there are still groups of workers being misused—working and not being paid,” he stated.
“That is because the system is not well organized. We have to organize immigration and labor regulation properly.”
Possible Future Legalization Program
When asked whether the government would consider a new Brooks Tower Accord-style legalization process for undocumented residents, the Prime Minister said the idea has been discussed in the Council of Ministers.
“I’m not against it,” he said, “but we must first organize our immigration system, so we don’t have to repeat the process every few years.”
He stressed that if such a program is introduced, it must be accompanied by a solid legal and control framework to ensure long-term stability.
Addressing Structural Challenges
Mercelina also acknowledged structural inconsistencies that make it difficult for undocumented workers to become legal, even when they attempt to register and pay taxes.
“That is the challenging framework that I’m talking about,” he said.
“To obey the law, you need people who can execute and enforce it. We do not have enough personnel to give follow-up to the law, and that’s a challenge we must solve.
Despite the complexity, the Prime Minister ended on a note of optimism:
“We have a lot of problems, but we will get there one day with this country—believe me.”
