Ombudsman flags persistent failures at VROMI and Justice

GREAT BAY--The Ministries of VROMI and Justice accounted for 33 of the 48 formal complaints investigated by the Ombudsman in 2025, representing nearly seven in every ten formal cases opened during the year.

VROMI recorded 21 formal investigations, more than double the nine registered in 2024, while Justice followed with 12, up from nine. The remaining cases involved TEATT with four, Finance and VSA with three each, ECYS with one, SZV with three and APS with one.

The figures form part of the Ombudsman’s 2025 Year Report, which recorded 346 complaints and requests for assistance. Of these, 298 were handled as Information Window cases, through which residents received information, referrals or assistance without the need for a formal investigation. Another 48 cases were escalated for investigation.

Information Window cases increased by 31 percent, from 228 in 2024 to 298 in 2025. The Ombudsman attributed the increase partly to greater public engagement and confidence in the institution following a year of relative political stability.

VROMI complaints more than double

Within VROMI, Domain Affairs and the Permits Department each accounted for seven formal investigations. The Inspectorate was the subject of four cases, Infrastructure Management accounted for two and one complaint was filed against the minister.

Complaints involving Domain Affairs largely concerned a lack of responses or unreasonable delays in decisions on domain land and water rights. The Ombudsman renewed its call for Parliament to establish a comprehensive policy framework governing the issuance of domain land.

Building permit applicants also complained that they received neither decisions nor acknowledgements within reasonable periods. Concerns regarding the Inspectorate included failures to respond adequately to requests for inspections and enforcement, potentially allowing building violations and irreversible harm to continue.

Residents also questioned whether Inspectorate decisions were based on all relevant facts and whether affected parties were given sufficient opportunity to provide information and understand how conclusions were reached.

The Ombudsman urged VROMI to improve the handling of inspection and enforcement requests, clearly define its procedures, apply them consistently and provide complainants with complete inspection reports. While acknowledging capacity challenges within the ministry, the report stated that limited capacity cannot justify administrative failures that negatively affect the public.

The Ombudsman noted that VROMI had shown a willingness to address existing complaints, but concluded that the overall situation had not improved.

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Justice complaints include immigration delays and unexecuted verdicts

Justice accounted for 12 formal complaints. Five involved the St. Maarten Police Force, three concerned Immigration, two involved the Prosecutor’s Office, one was filed against the minister and one concerned the Ombudsman’s systemic investigation into domestic violence.

The report acknowledged that the police had responded proactively in several cases. However, unresolved structural problems remained, including an online complaints system that was not operational and complaint procedures that continued to be unclear.

Immigration-related complaints focused on residency permit backlogs, the application of the gap-in-continuity policy and delays in processing objections. The Ombudsman also raised concerns about the digital application system, which prevents applications considered incomplete from being submitted, leaving some applicants uncertain about whether their requests were formally received.

The report identified prison capacity as a wider concern for victims and the justice system. One complaint involved a court verdict that could not be executed because no prison space was available, leaving the convicted person free despite the completion of the criminal proceedings.

The Ombudsman found that such situations undermine legal certainty, public safety and confidence in the justice system. The report also called for legislative changes to assist victims awarded more than XCG 5,000 in compensation, as the government currently advances damages only up to that amount.

Delays extend across other ministries

TEATT recorded four investigations, including complaints about delayed decisions on taxi licence applications. The Ombudsman described the delays in substantive responses from the Department of Economic Licences as structural and requiring management attention.

Finance accounted for three investigations, two of which were related to personnel matters. The Ombudsman recommended a review of government human resources policies, internal complaint procedures and management practices.

VSA also recorded three formal complaints. The report highlighted the Social Services appointment system, under which people attempting to submit applications may receive appointments three months later. When approved, assistance takes effect from the appointment date rather than the date the person was initially ready to apply, potentially leaving vulnerable residents without support during the intervening period.

Although General Affairs recorded no formal complaints directly against the ministry, the Ombudsman cautioned that this did not reflect the broader role of the Personnel Department, P&O, in complaints involving civil servants across government.

The report recorded nine Information Window contacts and eight formal human resources complaints, totalling 17 HR-related matters. A letter of concern was issued to the minister over delays, administrative bottlenecks, unclear decision-making authority and the effect of these shortcomings on the livelihoods and legal security of civil servants.

Concerns were also repeated about practices at the Public Service Center, including sending residents away to change dates on letters, refusing documents not signed in blue ink and denying entry based on a person’s clothing.

Open investigations rise to 46

The Ombudsman closed 29 cases during 2025, including 12 filed during the year and 17 carried over from earlier years. At the end of 2025, 46 investigations remained open, compared with 19 at the end of 2024.

The report linked delays to limited capacity within ministries, failures to respond to complaints and failures to follow through on commitments. Communication with VROMI, Justice and TEATT came to a standstill at different points during the year, reportedly because of backlogs and delays in processing decisions.

The most frequently violated standards of proper conduct were the adequate organization of services, identified in 17 cases; active and adequate information provision, identified in 10; and promptness, identified in eight. These same areas have remained at the top of the violations list since 2021, leading the Ombudsman to characterize them as structural weaknesses rather than isolated failures.

The Ombudsman issued 67 recommendations to government entities during 2025. Administrative bodies are required to implement recommendations or provide a substantive explanation within three months when they decide not to do so.

The report expressed concern that several recommendations from previous years remain unresolved and called on government entities to give greater priority to their responsibility to respond to the Ombudsman and the residents whose complaints prompted the investigations.

The report can be downloaded below.