Legislators
Give Immigration Bill First Approval
Legislators have approved, in first reading,
the reforms to the Ley de Migración y
Extranjería (immigration law) after being
bounced around in the halls of the
Legislative Assembly for the last several
years.
For the bill to become law it still requires
one more reading and vote, which could come
as early as Monday, but the following week
more likely. Maureen Ballestero, interim
chairperson of the Legislature, hinted that
the vote is scheduled for August 3.
The vote was 40 legislators in favour of the
bill.
The new immigration law, once passed in
second reading, not only affects foreigners
and their qualifications for residency, but
also goes towards criminalizing trafficking
of persons and beefs up the Policía de
Migración (immigration police).
The aim of the reform is to also make the
Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería
(immigration service) less political.
One of the changes of particular interest to
foreigners, especially North Americans and
Europeans, which were never part of the the
consultation process, is the increase of the
financial requirement to us$1.000 a month
for "pensionados" and us$2.500 a month for "rentistas"
to obtain legal residency.
The increase is from the current requirement
of us$600 and us$1.000 and much less than
the amounts proposed by the previous
administration in a bill proposed by
outgoing president, Abel Pacheco
(2002-2006), and rejected by the current
president, Oscar Arias, when he took office.
Jorge Méndez, of the Partido Liberación
Nacional (PLN) caucus, said the changes will
give the country a "modern and flexible"
immigration law and guarantees foreigners
transparency in the process of obtaining
visas.
The new immigration law also obligates
foreign residents to subscribe to the Caja
Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), with
the intent that foreigners become integrated
in Costa Rican life.
In other points of the new legislation,
hotel operators will have to maintain a
register of guests and will give the
immigration service added tools to reject
and expel undesirables, hitting hard on drug
traffickers and money laundering, according
to Lorena Vásquez, of the Partido Unidad
Social Cristiana (PUSC).
A point emphasized by Vásquez is the penalty
of six years in prison (from two) for those
involved in human trafficking.
The new law will also create a Tribunal
Administrativo Migratorio (immigration
tribunal) whose role is to receive
complaints of foreigners on decisions made
by the immigration service and
"professionalizes" the Policía de Migración,
whose members will be made up of regular
police with specialized training in
immigration matters.
The new immigration law, if and when
approved in second reading, would take
effect within six months of publication in
the La Gaceta, the official government
publication. |
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