Costa Rica and Panama Set Migration Policy

As part of a plan between Panama and Costa Rica, 14,000 migrants were transferred from the southern to the northern border from October 10 to date.

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Data from the General Directorate of Migration and Immigration of Costa Rica reported that 259 buses from Panama were transferred to the Temporary Care Center for Migrants (Catem), located near the border between both countries.

The people there receive medical attention, in addition, they rest for several hours before being transferred to the border, and they also receive food, and a resting area. 

To continue their route, they must pay 30 dollars per person, an amount that not everyone can pay, so those must remain in the center, but those who have the value of the ticket go immediately to the area enabled for purchasing the ticket, and board the buses. 

The tweet reads, "In order to address different aspects of the irregular migratory flow between Panama and Costa Rica, our DG Samira Gozaine, held a virtual meeting with her Costa Rican counterpart, Marta Vindas González."

Currently, the Costa Rican immigration entity reports that there are 524 migrants in Catem, who are in a more vulnerable situation after passing through the Darién Gap, in Panama, or are awaiting a transfer to continue their journey.

It is specified that during the stay of these migrants in Catem, they cannot carry out any paid activity, since their stance is in transit immigration status, so, to carry out any economically paid work, they must comply with the requirements established by the country's legislation.

With this measure, Costa Rica obtained a temporary solution to the massive impact of migration on its soil, through these operations to transfer migrants from one border to another. For the authorities, Catem is necessary to maintain order in border towns.

In order to effectively manage current and future migration, the government of Costa Rica is rethinking specific aspects of its regulatory framework and institutional organization.

They noted that during the stay of these migrants in the care center they cannot carry out any remunerated activity, since their passage through the country is in transit immigration status, therefore, to carry out any economic work they must comply with the requirements established in Costa Rican legislation.