The flow of extra-continental migrants arriving in Costa Rica has increased in recent weeks, a worrisome situation for the authorities.
In the first 18 days of September, the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners counted the entry of 612 people along the Paso Canoas border.
In August, a total of 745 people were received from African and Asia.
This increase is significant, when compared to the numbers from March and June, when Costa Rica reached just over 200 people per month on average. The increase began to take place in July.
The country is prepared to face a new wave of migrants, as it happened in 2015 with the five thousand Cubans and in the first half of 2016 with the Haitians and extra-continental migrants.
The country is prepared in case of a massive influx of migrants. The previous experience gave us the bases to know how to face the situation,”
said Mauricio Herrera, Minister of Communication, who was in charge of directing operations during 2016.
Nepal is home to the majority of migrants entering the country. In August, 384 people from Nepal arrived in the country, while these days 376 have been received.
In addition, people from Burkina Faso, Bangladesh, Eritrea, Congo, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Mali and others have arrived in Costa Rica as a route to the United States.
Each of these people receives a 25-day transit visa and is received at the health centers located in the South Zone and another in the Northern Zone, specifically in La Cruz.