Imigration Law to be Shelved until 2007

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  • #177186
    wmaes47
    Member

    There is a great article about the imigration law deadline being postponed until 2007.

    This will be good for those applying for residency. 12 August 2006 deadline could be moved.

    See the article in AMCostaRica for today 29 June 2006.

    Bill Maes

    #177187
    dhsbooker
    Member

    Bill, Just got done reading it. Looks like great news. The Tico Times also has an article in today under Daily News.
    Debbie

    #177188
    jenny
    Member

    I dont mean to talk about TICO times but they profit a lot from getting people excited about laws that never come about in Costa Rica. We got caught in that a couple years ago, the scam was a little different but not much different. They had every one running in to get residency papers processed before a deadline for some other reasons. They were getting so many applications until it was hard for them to keep up. Everyone who has called me and told me that they had to hurry so they could get their paper work in, I’v let them know that it was never going to come about. It is a fear tactic that is used to increase revenues and sell papers. I hate to talk about the TICO times but it has happened twice in the four years I have been in Costa Rica.

    The fear that many have created business for me. My business was actually rewarded by the fear that was pumped into unsuspecting want to be residents.

    The immigration department can not keep up with all the work. There is an administration change and we do not understand that in Costa Rica when they change administrations that changes almost everything.

    Most people from other countries outside of Latin America just do not realize a lot of laws are written in pencil and they can be erased.

    The Germans and the French who live here may be running around like we North Americans are, but I dont think so. When are we going to wake up to propaganda tatics. They did not stop when you got off the plane.

    #177189
    keith
    Member

    I sure hope the law being postponed is factual, it would definately be a prayer answered if it comes to be true. Thanks so much for the info!

    Jenny, if I’m not being too bold; How do you like Costa Rica after four years there? and if possible, can you share what kind of business you’re in? Thanks so much if you care to share this with us! 🙂

    #177190
    wmaes47
    Member

    I scanned the Tico Times this morning and didn’t see any article about the subject in this weeks PDF format paper.

    #177191
    Andrew
    Keymaster

    You can see her and her husbands story ‘African Americans in Costa Rica – The Owens Story.’ at

    Scott Oliver – Founder
    WeLoveCostaRica.com

    #177192
    keith
    Member

    Thanks so much Scott! You have always been so sincere and helpful, I hope that some day we will meet . . . in Costa Rica!

    Thanks for all your help!

    #177193
    Peg
    Member

    The article was in the June 16th issue, page 5, 2nd column, titled “Arias Administration Plans To Postpone Immigration Reform”.
    Peg

    #177194
    jrego
    Member

    Hi, there was an update to the new Immigration law in the Tico Times, daily emailed edition 29 June. The content I will copy below.

    Immigration Law Faces New Scrutiny

    By Katherine Stanley
    Tico Times Staff
    kstanley@ticotimes.net

    Public Security Minister Fernando Berrocal confirmed yesterday that the Executive Branch will ask the Legislative Assembly to delay until December 2007 the date by which the controversial new immigration law must take effect, saying the government lacks the funds necessary to implement it in August as scheduled.

    He also announced that the government will use an executive decree to form a council of representatives from human rights groups, the business sector, the Catholic Church and others to discuss the possibility of changing the law, approved last year. Its measures to crack down on illegal immigrants and the people who hire them have been criticized as unduly harsh by academics, religious figures and President Oscar Arias.

    However, although the government is certainly not opposed to changing the law, Berrocal said financial concerns are the driving force behind the proposed 14-month delay.

    One can’t oblige the state to (achieve) the impossible, he said during the press conference following Arias’ weekly Cabinet meeting. It’s absolutely impossible for this administration to put this law into practice.

    The law would require 671 new police officers and other employees at Immigration in addition to new police officials, vehicles, infrastructure and administrative reforms, at a total cost of ¢7 billion ($13.7 million).

    The change has the support of the President’s Cabinet, and the Executive Branch will now meet with party heads within the assembly to determine when to submit the legislation.

    The law grants greater freedom to police in their efforts to find and remove illegal immigrants, detention for an undefined length of time for those suspected of being in the country illegally and changes to improve the efficiency of Immigration (TT, Aug. 26, 2005).

    Berrocal emphasized that Immigration and the Public Security Ministry will, in the meantime, continue to work to improve the government’s handling of illegal immigration, which he called an enormous burden.

    You can also receive the daily edition free, or you can pay (like I do) for the weekly edition by going to: https://www.ticotimes.net/secure/subscribe.cfm

    James.

    #177195
    jrego
    Member

    Hi Bill, here is the latest from the Tico Times on the Immigration Law.

    Confusion and conflict continue to surround
    the new Immigration Law, but one
    thing became clear this week: foreigners
    aren’t likely to notice any difference after it
    goes into effect next week.
    The Executive Branch, which has criticized
    the law passed by the previous administration,
    submitted a bill to the Legislative
    Assembly that would delay it until December
    2007.
    Legislators say there’s no way they can
    approve it in time, but that might not matter.
    Immigration Director Mario Zamora
    told The Tico Times that regardless of
    whether the law’s start date is postponed,
    Immigration simply cannot comply with the
    law because officials don’t have ¢7 billion
    ($13.6 million) for the new police, infrastructure
    and administrative reforms the law
    demands.
    “No one’s obliged to do the impossible,”
    he said.
    These developments were met with relief
    from critics of the law, who say it’s extreme
    and potentially violates human rights.
    Others say the country desperately needs the
    new measures.
    “I’m absolutely against the administration’s
    position,” said Oscar Lopez, the only
    legislator from the Access Without Exclusion
    Party (PASE). “There’s no room for any
    more immigrants here” Costa Rica is for
    Costa Ricans.”
    A Change of Direction
    The General Law of Immigration,
    approved in 2005, has been years in the
    making. First proposed in February 2001 by
    the administration of President Miguel
    Angel Rodreguez (1998-2002), the bill was
    designed to update Costa Rica’s 1986
    immigration codes by giving police greater
    freedom to find and deport illegal immigrants.
    The law allows police to enter companies
    and review payrolls and documentation
    related to the hiring of foreigners; levy
    increased penalties for companies that hire
    illegal workers, ranging from $600-$3,600;
    and fine people who provide housing to people
    living here illegally. It also includes
    administrative changes within Immigration
    to boost its efficiency.
    While the assembly discussed the law,
    various migrant rights groups asked legislators
    to consider changes. The Catholic
    Church proposed changes to the law in
    December 2003, and the Forum on Migrant
    Populations – a group led by the
    Ombudsman’s Office – followed suit with a
    45-page document suggesting modifications.
    “Our suggestions were paid little attention,”
    said Angel San Casimiro Fernandez,
    president of the Church’s social outreach
    organization, Caritas. “Unfortunately, the
    same occurred with the contributions
    made by public universities, the
    Ombudsman’s Office and organizations of
    civil society.”
    The law was approved in October and
    published Dec. 12 of last year in the official
    government daily La Gaceta, with the provision
    that the government had eight
    months to put the law into effect. During
    those eight months, however, a new
    President, Oscar Arias, and 57 new legislators
    were elected and took office. In June,
    Rodrigo Arias, the President’s brother and
    spokesman, confirmed the administration
    would ask the assembly to approve a 16-
    month delay to discuss possible changes to
    the law.
    Fernando Berrocal, who, as Public
    Security Minister, oversees the General
    Immigration Administration, said in late
    June that the Executive Branch would probably
    form a commission with representatives
    from various sectors to discuss modifying
    the new law. However, the primary reasons
    given for the delay were economic.
    “It’s absolutely impossible for this
    administration to put (the law) in practice,”
    Berrocal said. “The money doesn’t exist. The
    corresponding budgetary preparations
    weren’t made.”
    According to Berrocal and Immigration
    Director Zamora, the primary expenditures
    the law requires include building detention
    centers for illegal immigrants, hiring at least
    565 addition Immigration police (an
    increase from 35 to 600), buying additional
    vehicles and improving the organization’s
    infrastructure.
    Zamora said the law passed last year
    indicated it is up to Immigration to draw
    up a special budget for the extra funds
    needed, which he did upon taking office in
    mid-May. However, the Finance Ministry
    informed him Immigration wouldn’t get
    any so many funding this year or next,
    Zamora said.
    He compared the situation to passing a
    law making university attendance mandatory,
    but not taking into account the fact that
    the country’s universities don’t have room
    for so many students.
    “It puts us between a rock and a hard
    place,” he said. “If the previous government
    wanted this law to be applied, why didn’t
    they leave (funds)?”
    Earlier in the week he told the daily La
    Nacion, “It’s one more case of a law that’s not
    complied with.”
    Rodrigo Arias said yesterday that the
    government will “do whatever is possible” to
    comply with the law while waiting for the
    delay to be approved.
    Pros and Cons
    Monsignor San Casimiro said the
    Church considers the government’s attempt
    to delay the law “not only correct, but opportune,”
    because it will allow the government
    to “obtain the necessary resources for its
    implementation” and “open the discussion
    of some significant changes to the content of
    the law.” He said the country does need a
    new immigration law, but the version set to
    take effect Aug. 12 “does little for the country’s
    traditions of respect and promotion of
    human rights.”
    Gustavo Gatika, Caritas’ director of
    immigration affairs, said Zamora’s comments
    about the difficulties of applying the
    law are “prudent and sensible” and “in tune
    with what the President has said about the
    law: that it has omissions.”
    According to Martha Isabel Cranshaw,
    coordinator of the Nicaraguan Migration
    Network, the law would have dire effects for
    both Nicaraguans and Costa Ricans. An estimated
    150,000 Nicaraguans, 45,000 of
    whom are minors, are living illegally in
    Costa Rica, according to Cranshaw.
    “Costa Rica has to accept that Nicaraguans
    working in Costa Rica are a reality.
    It fills an economic need for both countries,”
    she said. “No one benefits from mass deportation.
    It violates the rights of the
    Nicaraguans, and it would be economic suicide
    for Costa Rica.”
    Business owners in the construction
    and agricultural sectors often depend on
    Nicaraguan laborers to support their
    industries. Gabriela Lobo, director of the
    Coffee Growers’ Chamber, told The Tico
    Times she’s pleased by the government’s
    actions. Last year, part of the coffee harvest
    was lost because of a worker shortage, she
    said.
    “We agree there should be legislation
    that regulates immigration, but we think
    (the government) should look for more flexible
    mechanisms,” she added.
    However, legislators such as Lopez and
    Jose Manuel Echandi, of the National Union
    Party (PUN), oppose the government’s
    stance. Echandi, a former Ombudsman who
    criticized the Immigration Law during his
    term as the “defender of the inhabitants,” as
    the post is literally translated from Spanish,
    says it may have flaws, but economic reasons
    are not a valid reason to ignore it. According
    to Echandi, legislators should study whether
    the law violates the Constitution or international
    treaties and, if so, take those issues
    before the Constitutional Chamber of the
    Supreme Court (Sala IV), but simply delaying
    or failing to implement the legislation is
    not the answer.
    “The law was approved by the assembly.
    It’s not acceptable that now the Executive
    Branch says it doesn’t have a budget to put it
    into effect,” he said. “This country urgently
    needs an immigration policy.”
    What’s Ahead
    The bill to delay the new law, presented
    July 27 by the Executive Branch, was published
    yesterday in the official government
    daily La Gaceta, meaning that the Social
    Affairs Commission can now begin to examine
    it. Rodrigo Arias said it will occupy the
    top spot on that commission’s agenda, but
    according to commission president Ofelia
    TaitelBaum, that doesn’t mean it will be
    approved next week.
    She used the word of choice for the
    Immigration Law, “impossible,” to define the
    bill’s chance of being approved on time. To
    comply with assembly regulations, the group
    must wait five days starting yesterday to begin
    discussing the bill in their Tuesday and
    Wednesday meetings to give legislators time
    to study it. As with all new bills, the assembly’s
    Technical Services department must also
    review the text, which will take about a week.
    Once discussion begins, any legislator
    who wishes to ask outside sources, such as
    the Sala IV, Immigration or other authorities,
    for their assessment of the bill can delay
    approval, she said – and “we have a ton of
    holidays this month; that’s one of the things
    going against us.”
    Commission member Lopez says he’ll do
    anything within his power to keep the delay
    from moving forward. Cases before the Sala
    IV, motions to reform the bill, or even lawsuits
    against Zamora should he fail to
    enforce the law are all options he says he’ll
    consider.
    “I’ll use all possible legal means to ensure
    that the Immigration Law is put in practice
    in Costa Rica with the necessary rigor,” he
    said.
    Asked why the Executive Branch didn’t
    submit the bill earlier, given the time needed
    to approve it, TaitelBaum was at a loss.
    “I have no idea,” she said.”Maybe there
    was a delay.

    Nica Times Editor Tim Rogers and Tico Times
    reporters Leland Baxter-Neal and Maria
    Gabriela Diaz contributed to this story.

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