Costa Rica's Immigration

With all of the attention in the US focused on a possible attempt at comprehensive immigration reform on the horizon, it can be easy for writers on the topic of immigration in this country (such as myself) to forget that immigration is a global phenomenon.   Given the name of this blog it seems that I have given disproportionate attention to the US migration order and today’s entry is the first step toward ameliorating this major oversight. 

One of the most interesting sub-notes in the US immigration debate is that a recent report by the Pew Hispanic Research Center has found that net migration from Mexico to the US has reversed or at least reached zero.  Among other findings the report mentions that increased opportunities within Mexico are diverting migrants who may have considered migrating to the US in the past.  Mexico has been and continues to be an important transit route for Central Americans seeking entry into the US.  While the US may be the primary destination for Central American migrants, it is not the only one. 

Costa Rica has long had a profile as a net receptor of migrants.  Because the small Central American country has an extensive tradition of political and social stability as well as a history of promoting human rights, Costa Rica has been a magnet for regional migrants.  Statistical data offers a rough sketch of the growing migrant population in Costa Rica. According to census figures the immigrant population accounted for only 1.3% of the total population in the early 1970s.  This proportion grew rapidly during the 1980s and 1990s to reach 7.5% of the total population in 2000.  Since the turn of the millennium the growth of immigrant stocks in Costa Rica has tapered off and now represents roughly 8.1% of the total population.  In a country of just over 4.5 million people, this equates to 370,000 or so immigrants.

According to a recent study Nicaraguans represent the vast majority of immigrants in Costa Rica at nearly 75% of the total immigrant population. According to the IOM around 12% of the population of Nicaragua has emigrated, driven by poverty, poor working conditions and youth unemployment.  Political unrest, as well as natural disasters, were the motor behind the massive arrival of Nicaraguans into the country.  This trend was principally due to the ease of entry and the ability of people to cross in and out of the country will minimal cost or risk.  However, since 2000 these push and pull factors have largely subsided.  Several immigration laws passed during the 2000s introduced harsh measures to combat undocumented immigration.  In particular, these reforms introduced criminal penalties for unauthorized presence in the country.  Some of these harsh measures were eased in later reforms that introduced humanitarian considerations to the immigration law. 

With respect to insertion in the society, Nicaraguan men tend to outnumber Costa Rican men in the agriculture and construction sectors, while Nicaraguan women tend to be overrepresented in domestic labor.  This trend parallels immigrant insertion patterns in many developed countries including the US and Spain. 

Another trend that is reflected in the modern migration order in Costa Rica that is present throughout the region is the increasing presence of Colombian migrants.  Between 2000 and 2010, the number of immigrants from Colombia has doubled in Costa Rica.  A similar, if somewhat less striking trend can be seen in Chile.  The exodus of Colombians has been occurring over the past two decades in response to political violence and economic insecurity.  However, as traditional destinations such as Spain and the US tighten restrictions on entry, the flow of emigrants from Colombia has also spread out in Latin America.  Regional migration such as this offers many benefits over traditional destinations.  In particular, immigrating to Costa Rica is less expensive and dangerous than longer trajectories for Colombian migrants.  While the potential income disparities are less between Costa Rica and Colombia, being close to home allows for more return travel and a closer connection with family and friends left behind.  This is an important consideration in light of the fact that many immigrants consider their travels abroad to be temporary movements.  Thus, the high barriers to entry and the sometimes prohibitive costs of emigrating to Europe or the US make local destinations such as Costa Rica attractive.

The impact on Costa Rican society by the arrival of immigrants into their society has been nuanced.  Costa Rica is far from a socially homogenous society.  The four principle cities of the Central Valley make up the bulk of Costa Rica’s population, but the country is far from homogenous.  Along the Caribbean coast in the province of Limon a large Caribbean population resides, accounting for nearly all of Costa Rica’s West Indian population.  Along the northern Pacific coast in the province of Guanacaste, los guanacastecos represent a mestizo mix unique from the populations in the Central Valley.  Increasing numbers of foreigners challenge the society in many of the same ways witnessed in other countries with large percentages of foreign-born people.  However, Costa Rica’s long tradition of receiving immigrant communities from Europe and other areas has made the social fabric at least marginally more receptive to outsiders.

What remains to be seen in countries such as Costa Rica is the ability of a government with limited resources to deal with immigration in a controlled and beneficial manner.  The challenges to countries with emerging, but fragile economies are great and the potential for backlash against immigrant populations cannot be discounted.  Costa Rica is a unique example in the Americas, particularly Central America, because of its long tradition of human rights defense and the promotion of democracy.  How these values grow and flourish in a society that is increasingly multicultural is a key component of developing peaceful and prosperous societies in an increasingly diverse world.