PHILIPSBURG — A decision by the Princess Juliana International Airport Operating Company (PJIAE) to discontinue issuing airport access cards to French St. Martin–born nationals without valid legal working status has triggered a political storm, exposing deep divisions within government and sparking criticism from opposition and coalition members alike.
The policy shift, announced in a September 1st letter from PJIAE CEO Michael Cleaver, follows consultations with the Ministry of Labor (VSA). The letter informs stakeholders that, effective immediately, only individuals with a valid work permit and legal status will be eligible for security access cards at SXM Airport.
While PJIAE stressed that the measure was to ensure compliance with St. Maarten’s labor and immigration laws, the fallout has been swift.
Minister of TEATT distances herself
Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT), Grisha Heyliger-Marten, declared she could not support the decision.
“I cannot stand behind anything that divides our people,” she said in a statement published in The People’s Tribune. “I learned about this through a WhatsApp message forward like everyone else, and I could not believe it.”
De Weever calls out apparent lack of coordination within COM
Member of Parliament Ludmila De Weever (PFP) was even sharper in her rebuke, calling out the apparent lack of coordination within the Council of Ministers (COM). In a statement to StMaartenNews.com, she charged that the coalition “does not communicate with each other, release things without thinking it through, [and is] putting St. Martiners as second-class citizens while catering to others.”
She argued that the decision unfairly targets French-side residents who already contribute to St. Maarten’s economy and pay taxes, while ignoring far greater problems such as illegal workers from outside the region and businesses evading local taxes by using foreign bank-linked credit card machines.
“There are many a business with illegals working who absolutely do not contribute to any taxes on the Dutch side,” MP De Weever wrote, adding with irony: “A marijuana task force is put together across ministries but one can’t be done on how to handle labor, immigration and tax leaks?”
MP De Weever also recalled the words of her grandfather, Felix Choisy, who famously said: “The gale doesn’t stop at the border.” She noted that instead of strengthening cross-border cooperation, the COM’s actions risk dividing the people of this one island even further.
Emergency COM meeting
According to MP De Weever, the uproar has forced the government to call an emergency Council of Ministers meeting, reportedly to pressure Labor Minister Richinel Brug to withdraw or amend the letter.
“This coalition is all over the place. Nobody knows anything. They’re working in silos,” MP De Weever remarked, accusing ministers of undermining airport operations and St. Maarten’s already fragile business environment with knee-jerk policy-making.
Implications for the airport community
The PJIAE letter acknowledged that the adjustment would affect “long-serving French St. Martin-born nationals” but insisted that compliance with the law was necessary going forward. Still, the timing and unilateral nature of the decision have fueled concerns about disruption to airport operations and worsening relations between the Dutch and French sides.
MP De Weever said she had even forwarded the PJIAE letter to French Collectivité President Louis Mussington to highlight the seriousness of the issue.
Broader questions
With MPs and members of the coalition publicly voicing dissent, the controversy underscores not only the fragility of the government’s internal communication but also the complex reality of managing cross-border labor in a bi-national island economy.
As St. Maarten heads toward its November 11th St. Maarten Day celebrations, MP De Weever warned of the irony:
“So when they all talk about one island one people, what they really mean is let me divide us more and focus on the outsiders to come in instead.”
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Letter from Airport CEO to Airport Community
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