75.000 Nicaraguans Headed Home For The
Holidays, Immigration Service Readies For
The Return
Costa Rican immigration officials estimate
that an average of 7.500 Nicaraguans have
been leaving Costa Rica since last week,
heading home for the holiday season.
Mario Zamora, director of Migración - the
immigration service - the number is slightly
lower than that expected. Originally
immigration officials had estimated that
100.000 Nicaraguans would head north for
Christmas and New Years, while the actual
number may be close to 75.000.
The exodus has placed strains on the
immigration service at Peñas Blancas and the
bus companies that operates the routes
between San José and Managua.
The long lines north began Saturday,
December 19.
Costa Rican immigration officials are now
getting ready for the return home which is
expected to begin on Monday and not let up
through January 4 or 5.
Bus companies like Transnica and Tica Bus
have been totally sold out for weeks and
have added more buses. At Transnica a bus
leaves San José every half hour until noon.
The same is expected next week in Managua.
This year the immigration service added a
control check point at Liberia. Passengers
have their passports reviewed and stamped in
Liberia and not at Peñas Blancas border, to
avoid the massive backlog that has been a
tradition and part of the travel.
However, the backlog continues on the
Nicaraguan side of the border.
A ride from San José to Managua usually
takes about 8 hours, including the two hours
or so at the border control points. However,
this past week, the total time has been as
much as 12 hours, all due to the increased
border traffic, as officials on both sides
of the border cope and adjust.
In addition, the Costa Rican immigration
service has expanded its hours of operation,
opening at 6am, instead of 7am and operating
until midnight, instead of 8pm.
And as tradition, more Nicaraguans are
expected to enter Costa Rica that the number
that left, as many, prompted by the success
of their family and friends, decide to try
their luck in getting work in Costa Rica.
Many do so illegally and as such immigration
patrols in the northern zone have been
increased to detect illegal crossings.
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