Costa Rica, an Immigrant Haven No More
By Isabel Soto Mayedo, Prensa Latina)

Once considered a main refuge for immigrants, Costa Rica is increasingly becoming the opposite, as a large number of nationals leave for the United States.

There are more than half a million foreigners living in this country (the U.S.), considered the second destination of choice for Latin Americans, with 13,000 of them as refugees.

Meanwhile, over five percent of Costa Ricans, mostly from poor farming areas in the south and west, have left for the United States, according to official figures provided in 2006, to settle in New York, New Jersey, Texas and Los Angeles.

At least 28,000 Costa Rican households benefited from remittances sent by these people living abroad in 2006, a study conducted by the Costa Rican University found.

At least 2,300 households live only on these remittances, which reached nearly 18 percent due to a progressive worsening of living conditions in the Central American nation and remittances increased from 184 million dollars to 400 million dollars in 2001-2005.

Meanwhile, a census conducted in 2002 estimated the number of foreigners living in Costa Rica at 296,461, or 7.8 percent of the total population, 50.4 percent men and 49.6 percent women.

At least 88 percent came from Nicaragua (226,374), Panama (10,270), the US (9,511), El Salvador (8,714) and Colombia (5,898). Most of these foreigners have settled in the Metropolitan Area of San José or in northern Costa Rica, bordering Nicaragua.

They work in sectors including agriculture, services and construction, which are poorly valued by Costa Ricans.

Immigrants in poverty and extreme poverty mainly settle in low income, overcrowded neighborhoods in the capital and the suburbs, the worst hit by insecurity and low quality of life in general.

The Immigration Act of 1986 was abolished in 2005, and Law No. 8487 was approved to be implemented as of August 12, 2006.

But analysts say rather than a change in legislation regarding immigration, as promoted in November 2005, what Costa Rica needs is an effective state policy in the field.

Over us$10 million dollars are needed for its implementation.

Costa Rican authorities have admitted that the migratory influx has been behind the country’s growth in several fields in the last 15 years, as “areas with higher migration rates are the most productive, according to Immigration Chief Mario Zamora.

However, Law No. 8487 establishes sanctions, including the pursuit and denunciation of anyone who shelters an illegal immigrant.

Under the new legislation, only family blood bonds allow foreigners to make their status official in Costa Rica.

Most Costa Ricans publicly defend the immigrants’ right to education and health care. However, 61.6 percent refuse to give foreigners the opportunity to bring their families along to Costa Rican territory, according to surveys.

Even worse, 30.4 percent of people consulted by researchers from the Costa Rican chapter of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees considered that these people must be kept segregated to prevent them from mixing with Costa Rican nationals.

Authorities face the challenge of designing an immigration system that allows Costa Rica to curb illegal migration and, at the same time, to be able to promote orderly migrations beneficial to the country’s economic and social development.

Otherwise, immigrants will continue to be blamed for the impact of three decades of neoliberal policies which have worsened the situation in this country that was once the hope of those forced to improve their living conditions or flee from military dictatorships.