Politicians and the government need to look after the well-being of the country. They need to make sure that nothing gets out of hand. Although the current government says that it has not given permission for additional rooms or new hotels, it seems that permission is still being given for other types of accommodation. And as more of this continues to come in, the pressure on the labor market is increasing.

Recently, the Minister of Labor was in parliament for a meeting on his admission policy and some alarming information came to light. There is now a large number of illegals on the island. It is estimated to be 10,000 or more. The minister is one of those in favor of legalizing this group, as it would mean an income for the government’s coffers and would strengthen the AZV and SVb funds.

The challenges are great. Because if we look at the vacancies that exist, for example, there are several problems that can be pointed out. One is that many of them are at a level that cannot be filled by the illegals in Aruba. We are talking about supervisory positions up to and including professionals, such as those in the hospital. This means that for this group, if one company does not poach from another, they will definitely have to look for these people from abroad.

One of the problems is that the locals no longer like to work in the hotel sector. For this, additional courses will have to be offered so that they can develop themselves in other areas. Studies have shown that very few young Arubans are pursuing a university education. Now, most of them finish MAVO or EPB and stay there. They do not show any interest in following more courses to develop themselves, while there is an EPI that offers many opportunities. In addition, there is a great possibility to expand the educational curriculum with more languages, considering that Aruba has always been known for being proficient in several languages. Nothing has been done in this area to move forward.

The aforementioned brings with it a double problem. Housing is becoming a problem. Although it must be said that there are many empty houses and buildings above the bridge that could be a good investment opportunity for, among others, FCCA. However, the issue of many extra people remains an extra burden on the different types of needs for 10 to 15 thousand extra workers, such as medical care. In addition, it can be said that construction in Aruba is already at its peak. For the government and institutions such as SVb and AZV it means income but also at the same time more expenses. It is something that needs to be put in the balance.

According to what could be understood at the meeting of Minister Glenbert Croes, an average of 2.4 employees will be needed for the 3,000 hotel rooms and one more for each employee. So almost 3.5 employees for each hotel room, which is more than 10,000. And not all of this group will be able to find work in Aruba from the group of undocumented people. And this is without mentioning the other businesses that will open because of more tourists in Aruba. Listening and reading all this, it is scary to think what the situation in Aruba will be like in a few years, overcrowded and without space for the locals themselves to enjoy it, and which will certainly bring with it a change in the constellation of the Aruban people. Aruba’s tourism is already consolidated and another sector must be sought in which the island and its people will excel, to ensure work for the current and next generation who do not show interest in tourism.