. ▁However , ▁the ▁economic ▁benefits ▁received ▁from ▁these ▁territ ories ▁was ▁less ▁than ▁that ▁of ▁Indones ia . ▁Con sequently , ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁did ▁not ▁display ▁deep ▁interest ▁in ▁Car ib bean ▁soci eties . ▁This ▁is ▁why ▁Es sequ ib o , ▁Dem er ar , ▁and ▁Ber b ice ▁were ▁given ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁British ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Sur in ame ▁and ▁the ▁Ant illes ▁For ▁the ▁Dutch , ▁relations ▁with ▁Sur in ame ▁and ▁Ant illes ▁were ▁always ▁closer ▁than ▁with ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁their ▁subjects . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁the ▁Dutch ▁national ity ▁policy ▁towards ▁Sur in ame ▁stated ▁that ▁loc als ▁could ▁choose ▁to ▁become ▁Dutch ▁citizens ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁and ▁ 8 0 s , ▁and ▁migration ▁doors ▁were ▁open . ▁The ▁policy ▁was ▁vi able ▁only ▁during ▁that ▁period ▁and ▁since ▁then ▁Sur in am ese ▁migration ▁is ▁only ▁possible ▁through ▁the ▁family - re union / formation ▁program . ▁The ▁Ant illes ▁however , ▁are ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁to ▁this ▁day ▁and ▁the ▁people ▁are ▁considered ▁Dutch ▁citizens ▁with ▁all ▁the ▁rights , ▁privileges ▁and ▁oblig ations ▁that ▁that ▁ent ails . ▁▁ ▁Western ▁hem is phere ▁Dutch ▁colon ies : ▁Ar uba ▁C ura ça o ▁Dutch ▁Ant illes ▁Dutch ▁Brazil ▁Es sequ ib o , ▁Dem er ara , ▁Ber b ice ▁( mod ern ▁day ▁Guy ana ) ▁New ▁Netherlands ▁Sur