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COSTA RICA |
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Jail
For Arranged Marriages in Costa Rica Signed
Into Law
President, Oscar Arias, today placed his
signature on the law that bans marriages by
proxy that is used by foreigners to remain
legal in Costa Rica.
The law reforms article 30 of the Código de
Familia (Family Code), eliminating the
possibility of foreigners marraying Costa
Rican nationals solely for the purpose of
obtaining their residency, many not ever
meeting their spouse, known them from a name
on a form and a photocopy of their cedula
(identification).
Altthough the law had been in the works for
the last two and half years, it's signing
came at a time when a group of Jamaicans
have been linked to a series of crimes,
including the killing of two judicial agents
and an innocent woman.
Costa Rican authorities believe that the
marriage by proxy loophole permitted many
criminals, pedophiles and individuals
contracting marriage, for amounts of a few
thousand colones to thousands of dollars, to
evade immigration controls.
The law punishes any individual and lawyers
who participate in "arranged marriages" with
a jail term of between three and six years.
Although president Arias signed the law at
1pm today (Wednesday), it will be about two
weeks before it goes into effect, requiring
publication in La Gaceta.
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