News from Costa Rica

My friend Monte (who lives is Costa Rica) passed on the following information to me.

Last Sunday this article was published in La Nacion, Costa Rica's main newspaper:

Fifty-one Africans total, victims of human trafficking, were abandoned in South Limón (Manzanillo) after they were promised by the Colombian mafia that they would be taken to Canada. These 33 citizens from Eritrea, 8 from Somalia, 8 from Ethiopia, 1 from South Africa and 1 from Guinea were attempting to escape from the oppression, violence, and injustice they were experiencing in their countries. Only one of them is female. Six minors were with them but can't be held legally by Costa Rican authorities. Their location is currently unknown.

They are now staying at temporary security facilities from the immigration department, while their petitions for being accepted as refugees are being processed. Among them there are professionals (teachers, administrators, anthropologists, etc) and even a relative of one of Guinea´s ex president. Almost all of them speak English.

They have physical as well as legal, physiological, emotional and spiritual needs after loosing all their possessions, documents and money, and being victims of trafficking. Costa Rica won't deport them, and will try to resolve their refugee situations. If this fails they will be assisted in looking for other accommodations in safe neighboring countries. But the process can take many months, and authorities want to relocate them rather than keep them detained.