Building together toward a future-proof migration chain in the Caribbean Netherlands

How do you translate policy into visible results in practice? That question was
central during the mini-conference “The Caribbean Netherlands Migration
Chain: On the Road Together,” which took place on Bonaire on October 23.

This year’s annual mini-conference on the migration chain in the Caribbean
Netherlands was organised on Bonaire by the Public Entity Bonaire, IND CN, and the
Directorate for Migration Policy of the Ministry of Asylum and Migration.

During the conference, the transition from vision and policy to implementation in the
areas of migration, border control, and return processes for foreign nationals was the
central theme. Participants from the migration chain in the Caribbean Netherlands,
policymakers, and the public entities of the Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba jointly
explored how border control can be further strengthened, what measures are needed
to keep migration in balance with the capacity of society, and how return procedures
can be arranged in a humane and efficient way.

There was also attention for cooperation in exceptional circumstances, such as in the
event of a disproportionately high influx of migrants. In working sessions per island,
participants developed emergency scenarios. This approach ensures that work is
done not only on policy, but also on practical and operational agreements that
strengthen the islands’ resilience and response capacity.

Thus, the mini-conference offered more than just substantive depth. It provided a
tangible moment of connection between policy and practice and a joint step toward a
sustainable and future-proof migration policy in the Caribbean Netherlands.

RCN.