Page 11 - KPA 12 AUG'15

ZERO TOLERANCE THE Immigration Department at Queen Beatrix Airport sends Ven-

POLICY FOR ezuelan tourists without money or hotel reservation immediately back
VENEZUELAN to their country.
TOURISTS
WITHOUT According to Gerard Fingal Head of the Immigration Department,
HOTEL Venezuelans already know that they cannot enter Aruba easily. “The
RESERVATIONS airport’s immigration department shows that the number of visitors from
Venezuela without money or hotel booking has decreased,” Fingal said.

Dollars

For a few weeks already the Venezuelans no longer come to Aruba for
a short stay to get much-needed goods - such as toilet paper - but to
exchange money for dollars. Since Dollars are worth a lot on the black
market in their country.

With the profits made Venezuelans buy articles of basic necessity in the
Venezuelan black market. What has become common the last few weeks
is that the authorities find groups of Venezuelans that spend the night
in the open air sometimes sleeping under trees instead of spending the
night in a hotel. They usually have lots of dollars on them.

Many change their flight back to an earlier date once they have dollars
in their possession, and say that they have a “sick child” as a reason
for leaving so early. Fingal mentioned that tourist immigration allows
them to leave earlier.

‘Posada’

Then there are the so-called posadas: houses that have been converted
into small hotels. According to Fingal the new zero tolerance
policy makes sure that there is more control over the
stay of Venezuelan tourists in the posadas. There
is more information now and the departments
regularly check the houses to make sure they
are fire safety.

4 LOCAL Wednesday, August 12 2015 - ARUBA TRAVELLER