Immigration Intensifies
Border Control Before
Soccer Game With El
Salvador
Costa Rica's immigration
service said Monday it
will intensify the
entrance controls in the
north border of the
country, before the
possible arrival of
4,000 Salvadorans in the
coming days.
Costa Rica will play El
Salvador on August 20 in
San Jose in a World Cup
qualifier towards South
Africa 2010.
The International
Federation of Associated
Football (FIFA) had said
the game was "of high
risk" for the large
amount of people from El
Salvador that could come
to Costa Rica and
because of the Ricardo
Saprissa stadium
violence background,
where the game will take
place.
The Costa Rican Soccer
Federation (FEDEFUTBOL)
said it will only allow
the entrance of 500
Salvadoran citizens, the
press from El Salvador
said at least 4,000 fans
will travel to Costa
Rica.
Immigration Director
Mario Zamora told the
Spanish language daily
"La Nacion" that a
special operative will
be set in the border of
Costa Rica and Nicaragua
where most of the fans
will enter the country
by bus.
Zamora said the greatest
concern of the
authorities is the
possible entrance of
members of the so called
"maras", violent gangs
that prevail in El
Salvador and other
Central American
countries.
"It is of special
concern to us everything
that is related to the "maras",
because they can take
advantage of the
overcrowding at Peñas
Blancas border crossing
to enter the country,"
Zamora told the press.
Zamora said there will
be a coordination with
Salvadoran authorities
to keep up with the
number of people
traveling to Costa Rica
prior to the game. |
