International project: standing up for refugee rights on Curaçao
Curaçao offers no asylum system. Migrants and refugees arriving on the island face detention, abuse and life without basic rights. Human Rights Defence Curaçao (HRDC) stands up for them. Together with the Dutch Council for Refugees, HRDC fights for justice and dignity where protection is almost absent.
Life in the shadows
Every year, people from countries like Venezuela and Colombia cross the sea to Curaçao, fleeing violence, poverty and political oppression. Around 15,000 are estimated to live on the island without documents.
But Curaçao, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, does not have an asylum system. Therefore, refugees cannot apply for asylum. There are no reception centres, and upon arrival, people are detained in a facility funded by the Dutch government.
Those who remain live in constant insecurity. They work without papers in construction, cleaning, or hospitality, often exploited and without access to healthcare. Arrest and deportation are a daily risk.
HRDC: een levenslijn
HRDC is opgericht in 2019 en is een van de weinige organisaties die op Curaçao vluchtelingen en migranten bijstaat. Het team biedt juridische hulp, medische en psychologische doorverwijzing, en voert strategische rechtszaken en lobby.
Sinds de start ondersteunde HRDC meer dan 3.000 mensen en bracht het bijna 300 zaken voor de rechter tegen onrechtmatige detentie, uitzettingen en afwijzingen.
Our partnership
DCR has a long-term partnership with HRDC. We support and train HRDC staff and lawyers, so they are better equipped to support and advise refugees. We also provide financial and other support, such as organisational development and lobbying within the Kingdom.
Together, we are committed to the humane reception of refugees and access to fair procedures, a joint responsibility of Curaçao and the Netherlands.
What the law says
- Curaçao has not signed the 1951 Refugee Convention or the 1967 Protocol, and therefore, people cannot apply for asylum.
- The country has no asylum law and no reception centres.
- The only safeguard comes through Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
- On 1 August 2025, the Common Court of Justice ruled that migrants cannot be detained solely because of their irregular status.
Want to know more?
Are you interested in learning more about our partnership with HRDC or in supporting this work? Please contact our international team via: ip@dcfr.nl.
