Government Looks for a Way to help Extranjeros
Gonzalez Nimay | 16 may 2015 01.51pm
The Government is looking for mechanisms to help foreigners who have benefited from the process of regularization of immigrants known as "Crisol de Razas", whose carnet has already expired or are about to expire. So announced Saturday the president of the Republic of Panama Juan Carlos Varela.
He said that between now and December the carnet will expire for more than 15 thousand foreign immigrnts, " I am unable to take 40 thousand human beings to which Panama opened up the doors and simply do not give them status," said the Panamanian president.
Varela insisted that there will be no more migratory fairs, but they are looking for the mechanisms to ensure that through the National Migration Service these people will have the opportunity of being legalized. "The Crisol de Razas is in the past and will not do; we are going to work with an immigration policy that will be sustainable," he said.
Through the fair "Panama, Crisol de Razas" approximately 65 thousand migrant carnets were issued.
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Regularization of Extranjeros shall be resolved by the Cabinet
The president of the Republic, Juan Carlos Varela, said Tuesday that the theme to regularize the more than 40 thousand extranjeros who benefitted from the Crisol de Razas immigration fairs, will be discussed today by the Cabinet.
He also said that these people already have a family in Panama, they work and they cannot be left "in the air" because "8 thousand of them overstay their immigration status"; but insisted that despite the fact that the Cabinet is looking for a way to help these people, does not mean that "it is going to reopen this scheme".
He clarified that citizen consultation on the new migratory conditions to be established in Panama will be launched later, precisely in order to avoid what was done during the last administration with the Crisol de Razas.
Very nice to see a fair answer to the situation, very pleased at the new government! Kudos !!
Minister of Labor Luis Ernesto Carles said Tuesday that the government has no intention of reviving the immigration fairs started by the previous administration.
Carles explained that the labor law is universal and that it is the responsibility of the government to extend work visas for foreign citizens.
He said the existing law ensures foreigners that they can work in the county legally if they receive a visa.
Carles explained that the country has had a growth in employment of between 3 percent and 4 percent, and "the tendency in the last seven or eight years has been to employ migrant workers."
However, the objective of the government is to ensure these workers have visas.
The Panama Bar Association Monday issued a statement expressing concern that the immigration fairs would be resumed.
- See more at: http://www.prensa.com/in_english/labor-immigration_21_4212538707.ht...
The Minister of Labor and Workforce Development, Luis Ernesto Carles, clarified this Tuesday that the mechanism through which it will help people who shortly they beat your residence and work permit in Panama, so that they are legalized; does not mean that the old fair melting pot of races will be activated.
Carles explained that only will benefit the people who already have been granted the visa immigration, which represents a specific figure and not all aliens. " ... This is not melting pot of races ... i need that the migrant worker has his work permit, we have to understand that our country is growing ... we know how many of them are workers who benefited from this measure ... at the end all are productive for the country, any foreigner who is in the country has to be legalized", he said.
On the other hand, he clarified that there is not a work stoppage in the Panama Canal Railway Company (Panama Railroad), but that there is a group "unorganized" that presented a list of petitions and the negotiation was not a happy ending; he made an appeal to this group join the arbitration that ordered last Thursday the Mitradel, in order to achieve an agreement and settle the labor dispute.
Carles also referred to the recent negotiating table in white clay, which was held this Monday in Tole; explained that the idea is that a third party takes the construction and completion of the project of the Hydro, as the company Genisa "not assumed the social responsibility toward the environment", maintained its position that, despite the request for suspension of the surrounding communities, this work "can mean rural electrification ... is a necessary project, that the country needs, 80% of the communities Ngabe Bugle does not have electric light".
http://www.telemetro.com/nacionales/Carles-mecanismo-legalizar-extr...
I am glad that the President has acknowledged the problem.
This was my email to our Diputada, Lic Athenas
"This email is about the current proposed immigration reform proposals. As you know a significant part of the economy in the Districts you represent comes from the expat population. A portion of those people, like me, have gone through the formal immigration process because we could. We had the qualifications required and we decided to spend our lives in Panama.
There are many others we call border hoppers who go to Costa RIca every 180 days and deal with the ever changing requirements of immigration there. It is because of those issues that a significant portion of those border hoppers spent time and money at the Crisol de Rasas. They wanted to become legal immigrants.
The DGI has reported revenues for the last reporting period were down 4.5%, if immigration reform forces those who spend money here to leave those revenues will drop even more. Many of these people buy houses, many rent, all of them spend money in local businesses. If they leave many businesses that survive on the trade of those people will suffer. The Real Estate sector has never recovered from the recession, now there is new construction again, construction and the jobs it creates will slow if there are no shoppers, renters and buyers.
If the problem is fear of criminals entering I suggest that immigration do a screening upon entry for outstanding warrants. If the concern is people coming in to work here illegally then visit businesses and verify all employees are legal. If the concern is too many people coming from specific countries, add Visa requirements for nationals of those countries.
Please consider the economic and personal issues that will be impacted by immigration reform, before, not after the law is passed.
I am not sure it if you want to hear from me, but you have many extranjero residents who have no voice. I am hoping you want to balance their needs, especially when their needs are important to the voters to. I know you are not on the sub committee but you do have access to Lic Zulay Rodriguiez and she is the driving force.
Lee"
Her simple response was