PARAMARIBO – After a district judge rejected Suriname Green Energy Agriculture’s (SGE) request to halt the expulsion of 63 Mennonite residents, lawyer Derrick Veira has filed a second urgent application against the state. Veira represents the affected foreigners directly and the case is scheduled for Monday, 2 November. In the first urgent application, the judge ruled that SGE’s economic interests in the Mennonites’ presence do not outweigh the state’s authority to enforce immigration law. According to court spokesperson Marjorie Sanches, the Mennonites do not hold valid residence permits. In the new proceedings, Veira argues that the Mennonites came to Suriname for an agricultural project that, he says, had previously been promised government cooperation. He claims the families made substantial investments and relied on the ability to carry out their farming activities. Veira also objects to the manner in which the group was removed from the Mazoniage area and transferred to Kraka, stating that access to legal assistance was impeded. He points out that a request has been submitted to the president to review a refusal of a short‑stay application, and he believes that decision should be awaited before the Mennonites are expelled. Police spokesperson Michel Elskamp said that preparations for the expulsion of the 63 individuals, including three babies, are continuing. Authorities are arranging a charter flight, but a departure date has not yet been announced.
Article source: De Ware Tijd | Image credit: De Ware Tijd