Hello, St. Maarten,
I’m here to address the general public, and especially our US-bound students, and their parents, on a
matter of concern following yesterday’s statement from the Secretary of State of the United States of
America.
As many of you may have heard over recent weeks, I have been urging our students and their families to
closely monitor the steps being taken by the current US administration to curtail or otherwise
discourage international student presence in their country.
Yesterday, the United States issued a directive to its embassies to stop scheduling interviews for student
visas as the administration considers a stricter approach to examining and analyzing visa applicants’
social-media profiles. This may include but is not limited to your Facebook, TikTok, SnapChat, Twitter,
YouTube, Twitch and Instagram accounts.
While unfortunate, this is not a decision that we can influence or change as St. Maarten. Students and
their families can only prepare for whatever impact these decisions may have on their academic
journey.
For several weeks now, I have cautioned our students everywhere to consider their academic and social
standing in and outside of the US as a matter of principle. The internet is forever; while recording and
posting your day to day life, school fights, verbal arguments, or content that could be branded as
dangerous may seem “cool” in the moment, trust and believe that it can and will be used against you by
those who can freely access it. Furthermore, even if you believe that your social media profiles are set to
private, please note that there are methods that governments and authoritative agencies can use to
gain free access to them.
This matter is not something that the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport can influence or
change in any way, shape or form. I am therefore once again urging students, parents and guardians
alike to pay attention to news related to international student activity coming out of the United States.
Information is your greatest resource when it comes to mitigating any negative impact of decisions
made moving forward. I encourage students to monitor and be mindful of their online activity. I
encourage parents to have honest conversations with their US-bound students about steps and possible
adjustments to be made, if necessary. Where possible and applicable, the Ministry will be able to advice,
while also monitoring further developments on these issues.
These are uncertain geopolitical times and this can cause uncertainty, anxiety and even fear but our
reaction should not be to panic. We must monitor what is happening, take note of the decisions being
made and provide our students with the knowledge needed to take on the reality of the wider world, so
that they take sure steps and make solid decisions for their future. Thank you for listening and good day.
