Government To Facilitate Entry
of 41.500 Foreign Workers
The
government said that it will
facilitate the entry of 41.500
foreigners to fill the shortage
of workers in the agriculture
sector.
The Ministerio de Trabajo
established the number of
workers needed by agriculture
companies, who will be allowed
to enter the country under a
temporary immigration permit
that lasts for the harvesting
period.
The greatest shortage is in the
coffee, pineapple and melon
sectors, as pickers are needed
for the harvest season that
begins next month.
The coffee sector alone needs
some 10.000 pickers, while 3.000
are needed for melons and 5.000
for pineapples. Workers are also
needed in the palm oil
production, sugar cane, banana
and critic fruits.
Francisco Morales, minister of
labour, said that the Dirección
de Migración (immigration
service) will finalize the
details of the temporary work
permits within the next two
weeks.
Once the list is complete,
according to Morales, companies
can begin their search for
workers from Central America and
submit their entry request to
immigration.
Companies are required to fill
out forms with the personal
information of each worker and
include where they will be
working and for what period of
time.
Immigration director, Mario
Zamora, said that a special
window will be set up at the
immigration offices in La Uruca,
to handle the application
requests, which will be
processed quickly.
"We are committed to give the
applications a priority", said
Zamora.
Each foreign workers is required
to deposit us$20 which will be
used to cover the cost of their
deportation. The deposit is
returned once the foreign worker
leaves the country at the end of
their stay and not deported.
Agro-industrialists say that the
construction boom in Guanacaste
is the reason for the shortage
of farm workers looking for
better paying jobs. The current
pay scale for a farm worker is
¢5.200 colones daily, while the
average construction job pays
¢7.000 colones.
Another reason blamed for the
shortage of farm workers in
Costa Rica is the expansion of
the Panama Canal who is looking
to hire 60.000 people from the
same source as the
Agro-industrialists. |
