Costa Rica

The social, economic, and political instability in Nicaragua has motivated the migration of Nicaraguans to Costa Rica. By the end of 2023, 225,000 Nicaraguans had requested asylum in Costa Rica, less than 10% of whom were accepted.

Costa Rica is part of the Central American migration corridor, and it shares a border with Panama, which received more than half a million migrants in 2023 alone. The subsequent increase in the number of people crossing the country will likewise increase the competition for access to economic opportunities, likely complicating the situation of Nicaraguan migrants and refugees.

In 2022, the Costa Rican Government established a new protocol for asylum applications. With this protocol, Nicaraguans can only request protection in person within 30 days of entering the country. At the same time, only 50 quotas per day are granted, delaying the asylum process and hindering people's access to basic goods and services. Nicaraguan migrants require shelter, drinking water, medical care, and sanitation kits as they wait to be attended to by the authorities.

Overall priorities revolve around the lack of effective access to documentation, health services, education, and work.

(VOA 23/12/2023, IOM 15/01/2024, [M&R accessed 18/12/2022)(https://migrants-refugees.va/it/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/2022-CP-Nicaragua.pdf), El País 04/02/2023, LP 07/02/2023, El Diálogo 22/04/2022)