Government  Submits New Immigration Law
The Ministro de Seguridad Pública, Fernando Berrocal, announced yesterday that the government will send the revised immigration bill - the Ley de Migración y Extranjería," - to the Legislative Assembly.

The new bill reflects the changes recommended by the Sala Constitucional  in its decision of July 2005 onthe law that was passed by the former government and the hard work of the current government.

The original Ley de Migración y Extranjería went into effect last August, however, the Arias government decided that it required changes and called on the immigration service not to strictly enforce it in its entirety.

The new bill is a compilation of more than 800 hours of meetings and input from the Defensoría de los Habitantes, the Cathoic church, state universities, chambers of commerce, the Red Nacional de Organizaciones Civiles, political parties and the Foro Permanente de Población Migrante, according to Berrocal.

According to the director of Migración y Extranjería, Mario Zamora, the new bill respects all the Human Rights as requested by Costa Rican president, Óscar Arias Sánchez, who was awarded the Nobel prize for peace in 1987.

The new bill calls for an annual immigration tax of us$25 dollars on every foreign resident in Costa Rica, which will be used to support the social programs of the Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social (CCSS) - social security - and Ministerio de Educación - education.

In addition,  the new bill places a us$5 tax on entry to the country.

Zamora added that the new law would give the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería - immigration service - a ¢6 billion colones (us$11.5 million dollars) boost to improve its computer system, which is part of its fight against corruption and to provide better service, moving from to a completely automated immigration system.

The new bill also includes punishment of between 10 and 16 years prison to those involved in the trafficking of person with the intent of sexual exploitation, and 2 to 5 years prison for public corrupt public officials and up to a ¢1.5 million colones (us$2.900) fine for hiring illegal workers. The fine could be imposed on individuals and companies, and include the hiring of illegal domestic workers.

It is estimated that more than 900.000 foreigners live legally in the country, the majority being Nicaraguans and some 300.000 illegals who work and live in Costa Rica.