10,000 Marriages in Costa Rica Forged for Residency
Some Costa Rican Brides have Never met their Spouses.
Costa Rica is a beautiful country with much to offer: rolling mountains, turquoise oceans, a strong health care system, stable government, growing economy, and so much more. To protect these assets, the country also has some pretty strict immigration laws, designed to allow entry only to those that can prove strong financials or a Costa Rican relative.
In an effort to gain residency without the above qualifications, immigration experts believe that approximately 10,000 foreigners have paid to marry Ticos who they have never even met. Statistics show that the majority of these marriages of convenience are entered into by Cubans, Chinese, Colombians, and Dominicans.
About 40 lawyers have been reported in immigrations schemes, and evidence will often backup their participation. Though a Costa Rican may be married to a foreigner, many times the Costa Rican has not been out of the country nor has the foreigner ever visited. Furthermore, money transfers and phone records also provide evidence to the marriage’s orchestration.
To process the paperwork, notaries falsify documents and marriage certificates. Since marriage outside the country is permitted as long as a public notary signs off on the union, the Registro Civil is required to accept these marriages as valid. Furthermore, in 2007, the Sala IV determined that Migración (Immigration) is not allowed to question the marriages’ validity.
However, many at Immigration believe those involved to be participants in international human trafficking rings. Indeed, though these deals sometimes earn notaries and lawyers upwards of $10,000, the Costa Rican participants usually receive about ¢80.000, or $160.
Many officials hope to cut down on these uniones por poder, and would like to enact legislation to prevent them. Ana Virginia Calzada is one such official, presenting Article 67 of the Immigration Law to Sala IV, under which these marriages would not be recognized. Furthermore, it would be necessary to demonstrate cohabitation of a couple that marry por poder.
Slowly but surely, Costa Rica is working to strengthen immigration laws and improve the quality of legal immigrants. Though it may seem like an uphill battle, they are already taking the first, necessary steps by drafting new laws and addenda.
| Written by Erin Raub |  |
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Filed under: Costa Rica News on March 10th, 2008
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I read about this from a few sources now, i think its ridiculous and something that givernment needs to address immediately.
It makes it too easy for certain individuals to enter the country that may increase the crime rate further here