According to Minister Harish Monorath of Justice and Police, the Surinamese government spent approximately SRD 1 million on transporting a group of around sixty Mennonites who were removed from the Mansonia area.
The minister states that those involved did not have the required residence and work permits and were carrying out work on land for which they had no permission. The Mennonites have meanwhile initiated new summary proceedings to prevent their deportation from Suriname.
Monorath said this in an interview with Raoul Roeplal of ABC. According to the minister, the group consists mainly of persons from Bolivia and several from Mexico. The group includes several families with young children, including babies just a few months old.
The minister explains that the authorities already visited the area where the Mennonites were staying in July. During that visit, several irregularities were established, he said. For instance, several persons were unable to produce their passports because, according to them, the documents were with heads of households who could not be reached at the time.
Those involved were then given the opportunity to submit their residence documents to the authorities in Paramaribo or to leave the area. According to Monorath, they did not comply. The situation also remained unchanged after a repeated call through the media and service by a bailiff.
Three reasons for removal
Monorath cites three reasons which, according to him, prompted the authorities’ action. First, the residence status of several persons was not in order or had not been established. In addition, they were allegedly carrying out work without holding valid work permits. Thirdly, according to the minister, they were on land that did not belong to them and where they were carrying out work without permission.
According to Monorath, the passports of all those involved have now been checked. Inquiries with the Aliens Affairs Department did not show, he said, that the Mennonites involved had submitted applications for residence permits.
The minister was also responding to reports that applications for an authorisation for short stay (MKV) had allegedly been submitted for the group. According to him, no documents to that effect were found at the competent department.
He indicates that some persons have been staying in Suriname for about a year. According to his information, four persons still have valid permission for a holiday stay, presumably until mid-November. Monorath said this also applies to them: a tourist stay does not grant permission to carry out work.
New summary proceedings against deportation
Prior to the eviction, the Mennonites had initiated urgent summary proceedings through their lawyer to prevent their removal from the area. According to Monorath, that claim was rejected by the court.
Around sixty persons were then taken to Paramaribo with the intention of deporting them from Suriname.
A second set of summary proceedings has meanwhile been initiated, this time directed against the intended deportation to their countries of origin. During the hearing, the judge indicated that a ruling would be delivered by Thursday at the latest and must consider what has been submitted by both parties. Lawyer Derrick Veira represented his client Suriname Green Energy Agriculture N.V., led by Roy Kong-A-Foek, while Dwight Kraag was the state’s lawyer.
Transport costs government approximately SRD 1 million
Asked why the authorities did not intervene earlier, Monorath pointed to the logistical and financial challenges of operating in remote areas.
According to him, transport to the area and bringing back those involved cost the government approximately SRD 1 million.
For the boat crossing alone, the minister said, SRD 3,000 per vehicle per one-way trip had to be paid. The operation also required considerable preparation.
Monorath denies that the authorities acted too late. He emphasises that those involved had already been warned in July.
Minister points to responsibility of business operators
During the interview, Monorath was also asked about possible consequences for business operators who facilitated the arrival and work of the Mennonites in Suriname.
According to the minister, business operators must themselves verify whether foreign workers have the required permits.
“You cannot simply come to Suriname as a business operator and bring people to work in your company without having valid permission and permits,” Monorath said.
However, the minister indicated that in this matter he is focusing on residence status, the lack of work permits and the stay on the land in question. Any private-law agreements between the Mennonites and business operators must be settled between the parties themselves, if necessary through the courts, he said.
Asked whether an investigation had been conducted into who financed the travel of those involved to Suriname, Monorath replied that an investigation had been carried out, but that he did not have the specific details.
Babies and school-age children also among those involved
Monorath further confirms that the group includes several families with minor children. He mentions babies only a few months old and children aged, among others, three, six and ten.
The minister was unable to state exactly how many families were transported by the authorities.
According to him, the presence of children raises additional issues, including in the area of education.
For now, the question of whether the Mennonites involved will actually be deported from Suriname remains dependent on further legal proceedings. The judge has yet to rule on their request to halt the deportation.
