Spain and Costa Rica launched this past Tuesday the “Integrémonos” development agreement, which aims to work for the economic and social integration of migrants in the border area between Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
The agreement was presented at an official ceremony by the Foreign Minister of Costa Rica, Arnoldo André, and the Secretary of State for International Cooperation of Spain, Pilar Cancela.
The “Integrémonos” program aims to contribute to the economic and sociocultural cohesion of the communities in the cantons of La Cruz, Upala, Los Chiles, Guatuso and San Carlos, in the northern border area of Costa Rica with Nicaragua, as well as in Desamparados, located in San Jose.
Protection of the vulnerable population
The action seeks to directly and indirectly benefit more than 11,100 people, 50% of them children and young people, in these host communities through economic inclusion and the protection of the vulnerable population, with the collaboration of public and private partners and allies.The project, executed by the Ayuda en Acción Foundation, has a duration of four years and an investment of more than 3.5 million euros.
“The launch of this project is a sign of the commitment of the Spanish Cooperation with the social and economic cohesion of the population through universal access to education, culture and sustainable development, with special attention to gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”, declared Cancela.
The Foreign Minister of Costa Rica, Arnoldo André Tinoco, highlighted the association between two organizations with a goal of supporting a third country.”With this development agreement that is presented today, the opportunity opens to intensify relations between Spain and Costa Rica and deepen alliances, particularly the public-private ones that generate an impact on the host populations,” said Foreign Minister André Tinoco.
The general director of the Ayuda en Acción Foundation, Fernando Mudarra, explained that this program will promote “projects that boost the economy, generate social cohesion and offer more opportunities to live with dignity, both to host communities and to people who transit or settle in this territory.
Economic integration of the displaced population
Through this agreement, Ayuda en Acción and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) aim to contribute to development through the economic integration of the displaced population in their host communities, by improving their technical capacity for employment and the entrepreneurship.The program also has edges to promote human rights, peaceful coexistence and access to education.Historically, Costa Rica has been a country that receives migrants and in recent years has welcomed large flows of Nicaraguans, Venezuelans and Haitians, which has led the Government to request help from international organizations and friendly countries.
Official data indicates that Costa Rica, a country of 5.1 million inhabitants, has 607,000 regularized foreigners, of whom 60% are Nicaraguans.Since 2018, when a political and social crisis broke out in Nicaragua, the Costa Rican authorities have received 240,000 refugee applications, of which 92% are from Nicaraguans.Costa Rica has 186,717 refugee files pending resolution because its institutional capacity cannot cope.
