In the past thirty years, the group of migrants from wealthy countries on Bonaire has increased significantly. At the same time, this group has remained relatively stable on the neighboring islands of Aruba and Curaçao. This is what Martijn Mak (Amsterdam Bureau for Economics) writes in a contribution to ESB. One of the explanations for the difference between Bonaire and its neighboring islands could be that, unlike Aruba and Curaçao, Bonaire became a special municipality of the Netherlands in 2010.

According to various experts, this development could have unintended negative consequences on Bonaire. These include rising rents and house prices, growing inequality, division in elections and pressure on the island culture.