THE HAGUE – The Scientific Research and Documentation Centre, WODC, is expanding several national studies to the Caribbean Netherlands in 2026. This follows from the new research programme of the knowledge institute of the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security.
Notably, for the first time the WODC is adding a separate module for Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba to the national study on gambling. With this, the Netherlands aims to gain insight into participation in gambling, online gaming and potentially risky gaming behaviour on the BES islands.
According to the WODC, this is necessary to better assess how policy goals around consumer protection, gambling addiction and the fight against fraud and money laundering are being met. The study follows earlier concerns in the Netherlands about increasing gambling problems, particularly among young adults.
In addition, the WODC is launching a separate study into the legal position of residents of the Caribbean Netherlands regarding child support. This will examine the extent to which citizens can independently arrange their rights and how much access they have to legal assistance.
The study will also explicitly examine the current role of the Child Protection Council Caribbean Netherlands (Voogdijraad). The WODC is investigating whether that central role should potentially be scaled back in the future in favour of more "citizen-oriented or alternative support".
The knowledge institute emphasises in the documents that access to justice and legal equality are fundamental principles "within all parts of the Netherlands". This appears to be an implicit acknowledgement by The Hague that legal practice and access to services on the BES islands face specific challenges.
