New legal aid office on Bonaire receives dozens of requests for help in a short time

KRALENDIJK - The new legal aid office Huridiko on Bonaire is clearly meeting a genuine need. Since its opening in May, 61 residents have already come forward with legal questions and problems. These include matters related to employment law, rental disputes, issues with government agencies, AOV (old-age pension), social assistance and discrimination.

Huridiko was set up as a low-threshold place where residents can get legal help without having to hire a lawyer straight away. The office provides first-line legal support and also serves as the anti-discrimination facility on Bonaire.

According to Huridiko director Suhendra Leon, such a facility was still missing from the island. "In the Netherlands there are all kinds of options. You have the Legal Aid Desk, law clinics, and there are many ways for people to ask questions and get legal protection. Bonaire did not have that yet."

Yet access to legal information is, in her view, especially important. "In a constitutional state, it is important that people know their rights and their duties, and that they can seek advice in a low-threshold way when necessary."

61 residents helped in a short time

That there is a need for this is already evident from the first months, according to Leon. "We opened in May and we have seen 61 people so far about all sorts of things."

The topics vary widely. "Employment law, tenancy law. There is always something involving the government. I have seen some older people with AOV questions. It is very diverse." Residents dealing with social assistance issues or who have received a negative decision have also found their way to the office.

Huridiko is explicitly not a law firm. The aim is precisely to help residents at an early stage.

"Sometimes it is simply answering a question. Then people have enough with that. Sometimes it is helping with how to tackle something. Sometimes we also help with a letter or explain what steps to take next."

In other cases, a phone call to an agency can already make a difference. "Sometimes a quick call helps. Or people cannot get any further with an agency. Then I reach out and see how I can help them move forward."

When a case moves towards a legal procedure, Huridiko’s role changes. "Then they do need to engage a lawyer." The office can then explain to residents where they can go and how to apply for free legal aid.

Help with discrimination

Huridiko also has an important role in the area of discrimination. Since 1 January, equal treatment legislation has also been in force on Bonaire, and residents can turn to the office when they believe they have been discriminated against.

Leon expects the number of reports to grow as more residents become aware of the options available to them.

"People also do not know in which areas it applies. It is new legislation. Things happen that people used to think: I have an uncomfortable feeling about this, but they sit with it. It was normal, or it is normal here on the island."

According to Leon, it can involve many different situations. "That could be gender in the workplace, sexual harassment. But also: I have a disability and I cannot enter that building or I cannot access that service. Or my child has autism or ADHD and the school is not cooperating."

"As it becomes more widely known that this can constitute discrimination, I do expect more people to come forward here."

When a resident comes forward, Huridiko can not only provide advice, but also assist with follow-up steps. The office can, for example, send a letter to the party the complaint concerns. If that does not lead to a resolution, Huridiko can provide support in proceedings before the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights. According to Leon, it has not yet come to that.

‘If someone does not want us to act, we do not’

On a small island like Bonaire, the step of reporting a problem can feel significant. People may worry that personal information quickly reaches others. According to Leon, this is explicitly taken into account.

"All staff members sign an NDA. We are independent and operate independently."

The resident also determines what happens with a report. "When someone comes to us, we discuss the case and present the options. If that person does not want us to act, or does not want things to go further, then they do not."

Legislation hard to find

According to Leon, there is another problem on Bonaire: legal information is difficult for residents to find. The legislation also differs on many points from that in the European Netherlands.

"Legal legislation is always complex," says Leon. "But I think the language barrier is also part of the problem."

On top of that, there is much less information available online. "In the Netherlands, if you want to find something out, you can just google it. You might not have the full answer straight away, but you can come across things on all kinds of pages that help you along."

"People here do not have that option of just googling something, because so little about the legislation of the Caribbean Netherlands is available online."

‘Legal protection can be much better’

Leon was born and raised on Curacao, studied law in the Netherlands and then worked as a lawyer on Curacao and Sint Maarten. With her work for Huridiko, she has deliberately chosen legal services aimed directly at residents.

"I am one of those people who studied law because I believe that people need to be helped. I ended up in commercial legal practice. I found it very enjoyable and learned a great deal. But this is also an opportunity to do something that gives me fulfilment and not always just focus on the financial side."

At the same time, the first months on Bonaire have made it clear to her just how much still needs to be done.

"In the short time we have been open, we can see that there is still so much to do. I also notice the differences between the Netherlands and here when it comes to legal protection."

"That can be much better. And I hope that in the years to come, it will be."

Huridiko also wants to eventually hold drop-in sessions outside of Kralendijk. "We are also aware that there is no public transport on Bonaire. It is not always convenient that we are based here in Kralendijk."

That is why the organisation aims to move closer to residents over time. "When we are ready, we will also hold drop-in sessions elsewhere on the island, for example in the neighbourhoods."