No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeCosta RicaNew Repatriation Measures: Costa Rica Prepares for U.S. Deportees Arrival

New Repatriation Measures: Costa Rica Prepares for U.S. Deportees Arrival

Costa Rica will receive a group of deported migrants from the United States, with Foreign Minister Arnoldo André outlining the government’s plan for their processing and repatriation. André stated that after landing, the group will be taken to the Center for Temporary Attention to Migrants (CATEM), where their biometric data will be recorded. Following this, authorities will initiate the repatriation process to their home countries.

He added that the length of their stay in Costa Rica will depend on procedures with the receiving countries. Most repatriations will be voluntary, while others will require legal proceedings. According to the Costa Rican government, deportees can stay for a maximum of 30 days in the country. The permit can be extended, but only to complete exit procedures.

“We’ll see how agile we can be together with the International Organization for Migration (IOM),” he said. These people must remain in the CATEM center, and those who enter under the deportee system will not be able to extend their stay in the country. If they remain in Costa Rica illegally, the respective fines will apply. André pointed out that the stay permit implies restricted employment status. This means that they cannot work, either self-employed or as employees, and employers who violate this restriction will also face sanctions.

The Minister admitted that there is a theoretical possibility that some migrants may stay in Costa Rica, and when asked what will happen to those who claim to be at risk in their countries of origin, he stated that each case will be analyzed individually, respecting legal guarantees, including the option of refuge granted by Costa Rican legislation.

He also emphasized that all the costs associated with the process will be borne by the U.S. government. Costa Rica has committed to receiving up to 200 people of various nationalities, starting on February 19, following the mass deportations carried out by the U.S. government.

According to the resolution, after negotiations between the governments of Donald Trump and Rodrigo Chaves, Costa Rica agreed to receive the foreigners “in order to materialize their return to their respective countries of origin.”

Trending Now

A Costa Rica Expat and the Devil on His Shoulder

Everyone has a dark side—that little devil in your conscience that says, go ahead and do it! even though you know it’s wrong. It...

UN Denounces Guatemala Over ‘Inhuman’ Indigenous Evictions

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, Balakrishnan Rajagopal, called on the Guatemalan government on Friday to halt the “inhuman”...

Costa Rica’s PPSO Backs Laura Fernández to Continue Rodrigo Chaves’s Agenda

Former Minister of Economy Francisco Gamboa and attorney Douglas Soto will join Laura Fernández for the 2026 elections, representing the Sovereign People’s Party (PPSO),...

Massive Cocaine Seizure at Costa Rica’s Moín Terminal Targets UK

Costa Rican police intercepted 810 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a banana shipment at the Moín Container Terminal in Limón headed for the United...

Panama Farmer Receives Land Title After 60-Year Wait at Age 109

A 109-year-old Panamanian farmer has received the land title for the property where he lives and works—six decades after first requesting it from the...

Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly Vacation in Costa Rica with Baby

Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly touched down in Costa Rica for a family getaway with their three-month-old daughter, Saga Blade Fox-Baker. Photographers caught...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica