Illegal Immigration from Nicaragua – Entire Families go through Boca San Carlos

Crop season in Costa Rica attracts undocumented Nicaraguans. Unemployment, poor wages and starvation forces Nicaraguans to seek work on farms in Costa Rica.

Boca San Carlos North Border. The beginning of the crop season in Costa Rica is the attraction for hundreds of Nicaraguans, who come in search of a job.

The Public Police Force detected an increase of the entrance of undocumented people through Boca San Carlos in a small housing area of Pital in San Carlos nearby the margins of the Costa Rican part of San Juan river.

La Nacion verified it on Friday, when several families arrived close to the Costa Rican riverside on boats, got off and headed straight to the mountains.

The president of Boca San Carlos Development Association, Leonel Morales confirmed the arrival of at least three boats on Tuesday and Wednesday and one on Friday.

When asked the immigrants said that they were attracted by the possibility of finding work collecting coffee in the Central Valley and pineapple and beans in the north of the country.

January also starts the orange and sugarcane cutdown, which normally is done by the immigrants. Compared to Costa Rica, Nicaraguan salaries are very low.

For example an industry operator in Managua is paid around 6 cordobas ($0.35), compared to a field worker this one is paid much less. A maid earns about $60, a teacher $118, a professor $130, an engineer $200 and a doctor about $400 a month.

Weak Points: Since 1990 and until last year illegal immigrants entered by Mejico of Upala, Tabillas Chica Island of Chiles and Pocosol of San Carlos.

But starting this year they entered by Boca San Carlos, Cureña and Tigrar of Sarapiqui; taking advantage areas which have a weak presence of immigration agents and police officers.

There are only two officers in Boca San Carlos who don’t even have horses to follow the illegal immigrants through the mountains.

Nicaraguans recognize that now they make longer trips by sea and land but with a better chance of not getting caught. The Public Police Force can’t enter the Nicaraguan part of the river, so this makes it impossible to pursue these boats.

Another difficulty is the absence of a road along the river useful to follow the boats by land.

Nicaraguans:

José Daniel Duarte aged 23 stated that: “My problem are the problems of hundreds of fellow brothers, in my country there hardly no jobs and the pay is bad. I came to Costa Rica so I would not starve to death.”

Javier Lopez Artola aged 39 stated: “I’ve been unemployed for a month and I need to earn money in order to buy my daughter clothes for her school graduation day.”

Our thanks to Carlos E. Hernández and our friends at La Nación – Costa Rica’s largest Spanish circulation newspaper for their permission use this article.

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Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.