Surinamese President Jennifer Simons has declared that only an independent judicial authority can resolve the longstanding controversy surrounding the Dutch General Old Age Pensions Act (AOW) and its exclusion of Surinamese citizens. During a Wednesday press conference, Simons characterized the Netherlands’ one-time €5,000 payment to Dutch residents as a “legal omission” requiring reassessment.
The President emphasized that Suriname cannot demand equivalent payments for its citizens, stating that solely judicial proceedings can determine appropriate resolution. This response came following inquiries from Dennis Belfor, who is challenging the matter both politically and legally within Dutch systems.
This complex legal dispute traces back to the 1956 legislation that originally granted AOW rights throughout the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Dutch government subsequently issued a unilateral memorandum that effectively excluded Surinamese individuals—both in Suriname and the Netherlands—from receiving full or partial pension benefits.
In 2023, the Netherlands offered a compensatory gesture: a single €5,000 payment to elderly Surinamese individuals who chose to retain Dutch citizenship before independence and relocated to the Netherlands. However, strict eligibility criteria have rendered many claimants ineligible. Requirements include residence in the Netherlands by November 25, 1975, being at least eighteen years old at time of relocation, and having lived in the Netherlands for minimum 25 years by July 1, 2024.
These conditions have created what is now termed the “AOW gap,” disproportionately affecting those who were part of the Dutch Kingdom before independence as outlined in the original 1956 law. President Simons and many others contend that the Netherlands committed a judicial error that has systematically excluded thousands of pre-independence Dutch nationals from rightful pension benefits.
Simons directly addressed Belfor during the conference: “Only legal proceedings can resolve this. If we were part of the Kingdom initially, we must pursue legal channels. However, the Dutch system has not ruled in your favor to date.”