Minister of Justice Arthur Dowers announced during a press conference that the Government of Aruba has decided to extend the grace period allowing undocumented individuals to leave the island voluntarily without penalties until the end of January.
The measure is part of the “Hunto pa Progreso” project, which was introduced to address the situation of individuals who have been living in Aruba illegally for many years, regardless of how they entered the country. Under this initiative, those affected were previously allowed to leave Aruba by the end of December 2025 and return later—either as tourists or by applying for a legal residence permit—without facing re-entry restrictions.
According to Minister Dowers, the extension was granted due to external circumstances, including developments in Venezuela and other situations that may have interfered with people’s ability to leave within the original timeframe.
The minister emphasized that individuals do not need to contact any government department or submit additional requests. By simply leaving Aruba before the end of January, the dispensation will be applied automatically, allowing them the possibility to return legally in the future.
He further explained that individuals whose immigration documents are already in process may still benefit from this extension. Those who did not take advantage of the earlier opportunities may still leave voluntarily to remove their illegal status.
Minister Dowers noted that authorities have encountered cases of individuals who have lived illegally in Aruba for up to 20 years. He clarified that while voluntary departure with dispensation remains possible, new applications under the Hunto pa Progreso program are no longer being accepted. Only cases that were already submitted will continue through the processing phase.
“If a person has been undocumented for many years and did not apply in time, the only remaining option is to leave the country voluntarily. This removes their illegal status, but they can no longer enter the program,” the minister concluded.
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