Simpson Bay Immigration Center St Maarten Temporary Prison for Displaced Pointe Blanche Inmates
17 May 2025
The Ministry of Justice has converted part of the government’s immigration facility into a temporary prison, following a major crisis at Pointe Blanche Prison.
A violent riot and fire on 14 May 2025 severely damaged the prison, rendering much of it uninhabitable. As a result, 51 of the facility’s 80 inmates were displaced.
To address the emergency, Minister of Justice Nathalie Tackling signed Ministerial Decree No. 2025/715 on 15 May. The decree designates the first floor of the building at Simpson Bay Road No. 1—commonly known as the Foreigner Detention Center—as a temporary House of Detention.
The decree appeared in a special edition of the National Gazette on 16 May.
Officials say the prison has faced serious overcrowding issues since Hurricane Irma in 2017. The recent riot only worsened the problem, prompting urgent action to secure lawful detention conditions.
Under the decree:
Article 1 designates the first floor of the Simpson Bay facility (registered under certificate number 1/1997) as a detention center.
Article 2 gives the Director of the Prison and House of Detention full authority over detainee management at the temporary site.
Article 3 enforces the decree immediately upon signing, with formal publication in the Landscourant van Sint Maarten.
The Ministry cites Articles 3(1) and 5(3) of the National Ordinance on the Principles of Prison Administration as legal grounds for the emergency designation.
This stopgap solution offers short-term relief while the Ministry develops long-term plans to fix Sint Maarten’s correctional infrastructure.
Justice officials emphasize their ongoing commitment to protecting the safety, security, and legal rights of all detainees. Repairs at Pointe Blanche are underway, and more updates will follow as the situation evolves.