Court Lets Refugees Receive Bank Credit

THE Constitutional Chamber of theSupreme Court (Sala IV) has ruled thatrefugees in Costa Rica are eligible toreceive bank credit.Members of the U.N. High Commissionfor Refugees (ACNUR) celebratedthe announcement.“We are very pleased to hear suchexcellent news, the likes of which withouta doubt, strengthen the frame of protectionof the refugee population inCosta Rica, and at the same time pavesthe road toward the achievement of themuch sought-after local integration ofrefugees in the country,” Costa RicanACNUR representative James Kovarsaid about the ruling, announced lastweek.“The decision represents a triumph forthe entire refugee population that lives inthe country,” he added.Approximately 14,000 refugees live inCosta Rica, 8,000 of whom areColombians, according to the ForeignMinistry.