The rollout of the Citizen Service Number BSN in the Caribbean Nether­lands has received broad sup­port from the Dutch House of Representatives, following assurances regarding data se­curity and a multilingual public information campaign.

State Secretary for Kingdom Relations Ferenc Zsolt Szabo responded positively to a mo­tion calling for additional sup­port for elderly residents and those with limited digital skills. A formal vote on the motions is scheduled for today, Tuesday. “An information campaign has already begun to explain what the BSN is and how to use it safely,” said Szabó during the debate. “We are ensuring that all communication is multilin­gual and accessible both online and offline. The goal is to reach as many people as possible. We’re also investing in improv­ing digital literacy so that every citizen can participate.”

The BSN is a unique personal number used to facilitate in­teractions between individuals and government services. It is linked to DigiD, the digital identification system required for accessing many public ser­vices online. While the BSN has been in use in the Euro­pean Netherlands since 2007, it is only now being phased in across Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba (BES islands).

Several Members of Parlia­ment (MPs) emphasised the need for clear communication — not just for government insti­tutions and local organisations, but especially for residents. “What provisions are in place for people who are functionally illiterate, do not have Internet access, or do not speak Dutch?” asked MP Faith Bruyning, who represents right-wing party New Social Contract (NSC). Tbgeth­er with right-wing ChristenUnie MP Don Ceder, Bruyning co-sponsored a motion em­phasising the need for tailored outreach to digitally vulnerable individuals.

Szabó expressed support for the motion, stating that non-digital service options will re­main available. “This is very important to me,” he said. “These services are already in place in Bonaire, and we are working to ensure the same availability in Saba and St. Eu­statius.”

The state secretary added that regular consultations are ongo­ing with local governments re­garding the implementation of both BSN and DigiD.

Raoul White of the socialist coalition party GroenLinks­PvdA suggested printing the BSN on the BES ID card, similar to ID cards issued in the European Netherlands. Sz­abo advised against this due to security limitations. The BES ID cards, which are produced locally, lack advanced security features such as a watermark or chip and are used more fre­quently than their European counterparts.

“There is a real risk that the BSN could end up in the hands of unauthorised parties through routine photocopying,” Szabo explained. While he expressed hope that security features could be added to BES ID cards in the future, the state secretary acknowledged that such chang­es would take time.

Cybersecurity was was also a major concern during the debate. MP Jan Valize of the far-right Party for Freedom PVV warned that Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba may represent the King­dom’s weakest link in terms of cyber defence. “How realistic is the threat that hostile actors could access European Dutch systems through digital infra­structure in the BES islands?” he asked.

Szabo reassured Parliament that the government networks in the Caribbean Netherlands are isolated and cannot be used to access systems in the Eu­ropean Netherlands. “In fact, the introduction of the BSN will improve security,” he said. “Currently, there are no mini­mum requirements for digital services on the BES islands, but those will be implemented as part of this rollout.”

The Daily Herald.