The Professional Migration Police, together with the Ministry of Labor and the Costa Rican Social Security Fund, located 47 foreigners who were working irregularly in two companies subcontracted by Coopesa, a cooperative dedicated to the repair and maintenance of aircraft.
The group includes Salvadorans, Guatemalans, Mexicans, and Venezuelans, who received salaries ranging from $420 to $1,300 per week. The inspection was made after a series of complaints filed with the General Directorate of Immigration and Foreigners (DGME) by irregular workers.
The purpose of the inspection was to review the immigration status of foreigners who work in the company, and thereby corroborate that the people working there had the corresponding work permits, and also with all the obligations that as employer must meet.
These people only had access to tourism, a status that does not allow them to perform paid work, and do not have regularization requests before the DGME.
According to the Migration Law, in compliance with the articles from 174 to 180, if it is verified that Coopesa hired workers who were in the country irregularly, it is exposed to a fine ranging from two to twelve times the amount of a base salary (up to ¢ 5 million), determined by the seriousness of the events and the number of foreigners found working irregularly.
The 47 foreigners got their passports confiscated and were summoned to appear at the immigration offices, where they would regularize their immigration status or asked to leave the country.