French authorities confirmed closing border control posts
BELLEVUE — Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020, French authorities finally announced officially the closing of their border control posts and the lifting of checks at the Bellevue crosspoint and at the French Quarter frontier.
According to Le Pelican, in a press release, the Prefecture of Saint-Martin confirmed the lifting of border control posts. “In connection with the Government of Sint-Marteen, the Prefecture of Saint-Barths and Saint-Martin issued an order limiting the movement between the two parts of the island in order to limit the spread of the virus. As the island’s health situation is stabilizing, free movement between Saint Martin and St. Maarten was restored on Monday, June 1st, at midnight. The control stations have been lifted. The border points that had been physically closed by containers are being removed by the providers of the Community of Saint-Martin and the Prefecture ”
Traffic with the Dutch part of the island was therefore restored in Bellevue and in Quartier d’Orléans. However, containers were still in place at Oyster Pond, and at the Terres Basses frontier. “Border points that had been physically closed by containers are being removed” announced the Northern Island’s Prefecture. When this will happen remains to be seen.
For a while, residents were kept in uncertainty as to the actual lifting of border controls that was scheduled for midnight on June 2nd. Apparently, the lifting of the last restrictions was subject to the signing of a “MOU” written by the Regional Health Agency between the French authorities and the government of Sint Maarten. What this memorandum of understanding (MOU) actually pertains to, is yet unknown. Rumor has it that up until Monday night, June 1st, agreement on this MOU between the French and Dutch governments had not been reached. Whether this will lead to the re-instating of checks at the French borders remains to be seen as well.
StMaartenNews.com made an analysis of the reasons for the continued border controls by the French authorities after the Dutch-side government ceased its border controls on Sunday, May 17, 2020, in an exposé report. This report can be read online here: https://stmaartennews.com/french-side-news/expose-report-reasons-continued-french-side-border-controls.
Captions: Photos of the situation at the Bellevue and Lowlands borders on the morning of Tuesday, June 2, 2020. Photos are taken from Le Pelican Facebook Page.
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Related articles:
Exposé report: Reasons for the continued French side border controls after May 17
French side border controls remain in place
Why does the French continue monitoring the borders?
