Submitted by crinadmin on
Representatives of the Costa Rican government attended a hearing at the Inter-American Commission to discuss concerns about the situation of migrants in the country. The hearing was requested by the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) and the National Network of Civil Organisations for Migrants in Costa Rica. These organisations reported numerous human rights violations against the migrant population and emphasised the problems they face in accessing education and healthcare and highlighted the bleak conditions they work in. They noted that the lack of documentation is a barrier to accessing public services. For this reason, the petitioners asked the Commission to recommend that Costa Rica take steps to regulate the status of migrants who demonstrate their commitment to Costa Rican society. During the hearing, concern was expressed for children and young people who are discriminated against in the education system. Many are denied access to schooling until they and their parents can demonstrate that they have the necessary legal documentation that allows them to reside in the country. They considered it necessary for the Costa Rican state to ratify the International Convention on the protection of the rights of all migrant workers and their families. The Commission requested information about the detention of migrants. The petitioners responded that there were no maximum quotas and that, on occasions, migrants have been imprisoned for up to eight months in deplorable conditions, as the State does not have the necessary resources to deport them. The State of Costa Rica explained that the phenomenon of migration was overwhelming its institutional capacity and invited the Rapporteur on Migrants and Their Families to the IACHR to visit the country to update its 2002 report on the situation of migrants. It also said it would look at drawing up a public policy on the question of migration.