During the last hours, authorities from the Border Police have found several Cuban citizens walking through paddocks and palm plantations. When questioned and requested for documentation, passports without any legal record of their entry into the national territory were presented, so officers proceeded to return them to Panama.
In the first 13 days of August, Costa Rica has rejected 66 Cubans who entered national territory from Panama. This is part of the actions taken by the Costa Rican government to reject all citizens who are entering the country without following the legal procedures.
Gisela Yockchen, Director of Immigration, admitted that there is a big concern about the increase of islanders entering the country illegally, a situation that could worsen as soon as the Panamanian government decides not to receive them back.
That, the radical position of the Nicaraguan government to keep closed its border, and the recent statements by President of Panama, Juan Carlos Varela, about providing humanitarian assistance to immigrants because they will not leave them die in their country cause a huge pressure on us,
said Yockchen.
The Costa Rican Government reiterates that there are no conditions for new irregular immigrants. Therefore, the authorities apprehend and initiate deportation processes to people who enter the country illegally.