Aruba has also faced the issues of both emigration and immigration. This issue has always existed throughout the history of humanity. When people face difficult situations to survive, immigration often becomes the solution for themselves and their families. Many times, people migrate for a period, earn money, send money back to their family, and sometimes return.
Today, immigrants are going through tough times, as we see what is happening in North America, Europe, and many other countries. In North America, President Trump has implemented restrictive measures against immigrants, and in Europe, despite criticism of Trump, many countries follow similar examples set by him.
Aruba faced this difficult period from 1910 to 1925. Although it was a Dutch colony, we did not receive the necessary assistance from the Netherlands, and doctors came from America. According to information from that time, many people, especially children, died from hunger. This was due to many men going to work in Cuba, Colombia, Venezuela, and other countries. There were cases where entire families emigrated. Some returned, while others stayed to work and live in the countries they had migrated to. Immigrants are workers who leave unsafe situations in their home countries in search of better social, economic, and financial conditions.
Aruba Has Experienced Several Waves of Immigration
After the Lago refinery opened its doors in 1928, Aruba saw several waves of immigration in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, especially from English-speaking Caribbean countries, as well as Colombia, Venezuela, Curacao, Bonaire, and Suriname. Most immigrants came to work at the Lago refinery. From 1988 to 2005, Aruba saw another wave of immigration, especially from Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, and the Philippines, with people coming to work in hotels constructed with government guarantees. Although there were some challenges here and there, these waves were relatively organized and followed government plans.
Around 10 to 15 years ago, another wave of immigration began, particularly from Latin American countries, especially Venezuela, to work in construction. Many Venezuelans entered Aruba through illegal means, often crossing via boat or makeshift rafts. This wave of immigration is often referred to as “undocumented workers” or “illegal immigrants.”
Today, Aruba seems to have a world record for the percentage of immigrant workers who are undocumented, compared to the number of local workers, and also for the percentage of the illegal population compared to the legally registered population.
In a future article, we will continue with the second part of this discussion.
Photo credits : https://diario.aw/categories/noticia/general/aruba-parce-tin-e-record-mundial-pa-loke-ta-porcentahe-di-trahadornan-imigrante
