Costa Rica: IOM and the Municipality of Mora Inaugurate Municipal Center for Migrants

The Municipality of Mora and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Costa Rica inaugurated a new Municipal Center for Migrants (MCM) for the protection of migrants residing in this area. 

According to the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC), in 2011 migrants represented 7.4% of the total population of the municipality of Mora. In this area, migrants work in the agricultural sector and in domestic work, among other gastronomic and handicraft services and enterprises. 

The objective of the MCM is to inform and raise awareness to promote safe, orderly, and regular migration. Migrants will be taken care of safely and with truthful information on options for migration regularization in Costa Rica, as well as on the prevention and risks associated with irregular migration. 

The center has a hotline where migrants can consult on migration matters. The opening hours are from Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 4 pm, calling or writing to the telephone line 6338-3636 or to the email centroparamigrantes@mora.go.cr. 

To execute the actions in the best way, the staff of the MCMs are trained by the General Directorate for Migration and Aliens (DGME) on issues related to migration regularization. In addition, staff receive training for differentiated care, in accordance with the different profiles and needs of migrants, with the aim of providing a more comprehensive service. 

The inauguration took place in person at the Casa de la Cultura in the municipality of Mora, where the office of this new MCM is located. Present at the inauguration were Mr. Alfonso Jiménez, Mayor of Mora, Jennifer Becerra, IOM National Support Officer and Mr. Daguer Hernández, Deputy Director General of the General Directorate for Migration and Aliens. 

"For us as a local government it is very important that today we are inaugurating this center, to work on improving issues of migratory status of people living in the canton. In addition to offering them a programmatic offer of different municipal services", commented Alfonso Jiménez, mayor of Mora. 

"I am pleased to announce the opening of the fourth Municipal Center for Migrants. This will be a point of reference where migrants from the area can receive information about migratory regularization." said Jennifer Becerra, IOM National Support Officer. 

IOM, together with municipalities, currently provides services through MCMs in three other geographical areas of Costa Rica, specifically in the communities of Desamparados, Upala and Talamanca. Since their opening in mid-2018, more than 7,000 migrants have been reached. In these centers they receive information and advice on migration procedures, references to other institutions to access health services and/or education, advice on labour rights, among other services. 

"These centers allow us to bring migration processes closer to people, inform them and give them greater opportunities to access migratory regularization," emphasized Daguer Hernández, Deputy Director General of the Directorate General of Migration and Aliens. 

This initiative is being developed within the framework of IOM’s Western Hemisphere Program, funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM).