Reforms on Marriages of
Convenience Almost Ready
The director of
Migración, Mario Zamora,
along with the director
de la policía de
Migración, Francisco
Castaing, expressed
their concerns over the
problems stemming from
criminals using the
marriage of convenience
loophole to enter and
remain in the country.
"Some 70% of our efforts
during raids in Jacó,
Paso de la Vaca and
other conflictive areas
are lost because the
detained put a marriage
certificate in our
faces", said Castaing.
The immigration police
director added that all
these "sicarios" (hitmen)
are married and threaten
death to anyone who
exposes them.
To combat the problem,
the immigration service
is waiting on a reform
to the immigration laws
that would close the
loophole of utilizing
Costa Ricans to contract
marriages, for a fee, so
that undesirables can
enter and remain in the
country.
Promoting the changes in
the law are legislators
Evita Arguedas of the
Libertarian party and
Francisco Antonio
Pacheco of the
Liberation, who is also
the president of the
Legislative Assembly.
According to immigration
officials and the
legislators promoting
the change, the
situation has gotten out
of hand. Costa Ricans
are being paid as little
as ¢10.000 colones
(us19.75) to sign their
name to a marriage
contract and then
unscrupulous lawyers and
notaries charging up to
us$10.000 and us$20.000
to foreigners, most of
whom would never be
given entry into Costa
Rica if it weren't for
the fact that they were
married to a Costa
Rican.
Immigration director
Zamora said that 54
notaries are currently
being investigated for
taking part in some 400
arranged marriages which
the immigration service
is attempting to have
declared annulled.
The reforms would
penalize, including jail
terms, for notaries and
lawyers who take part in
marriages of convenience
and would curb the
number of such
marriages. |
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