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CONTEXT
Costa Rica and Panama share a 378 km border. There are four official border crossings in this area, the main one being Paso Canoas (Corredores). This city is contiguous with Paso Canoas (Panama) and is characterized by a very close binational dynamic based on active cross- border trade.
Between January 2023 and April 2024, more than 123,000 entries and more than 124,400 exits of foreigners were registered through this official crossing point(1).
In addition, the Sabalito border crossing (Coto Brus) has seasonal and pendular movements, mainly Ngöbe Buglé indigenous people, associated with coffee harvesting.
Since 2023, a considerable increase in the transit of refugees and migrants of multiple nationalities has been registered. These persons arrive at the southern border of Costa Rica just after crossing the perilous Darien route. Their arrival overwhelmed the local hosting capacity in Paso Canoas; for this reason, in September 2023 the Costa Rican government issued an Emergency Declaration. Between January 2023 and May 2024, more than 623,600 people have transited through Costa Rica under this modality.
To address this situation, from October 2023 the governments of Costa Rica and Panama agreed on a bus transportation scheme, with direct arrivals from the Migration Reception Stations (ERM) in Darien (Panama) to the southern border of Costa Rica. Thus, they designated the Southern Migration Station (EMISUR), administered by the Migration Authority (DGME) through the Professional Migration Police (PPM), as a temporary collective shelter as well as a transportation terminal. Between January 2023 and May 2024, more than 623,600 people have transited through Costa Rica under this modality(2). The volume of transit depends on climatic and social circumstances in Panama and other countries along the route.
EMISUR operation has gradually adapted, guided by authorities, to the needs of people in transit: both State institutions such as the National Women's Institute (INAMU), the National Trust Fund (PANI), the Ministry of Health and humanitarian actors present at the station (including UNHCR) have strengthened the intersectoral response. Challenges and gaps have been also identified and will be addressed in light of the Response Plan led by the National Emergency Commission, which is under technical support by the United Nations System.
Some representatives of host communities, such as business associations and other interest groups, have closely followed the situation of refugees and migrants; other community actors have made efforts and mobilized response actions. Besides, they have been in constant dialogue with stakeholders about the impact of this presence on local reception capacity. For reference, the border canton of Corredores, where EMISUR is located, has 51,000 inhabitants(3), and has assumed the arrival of an average of 1,200 to 1,300 people/day and peaks of over 3,000 refugees and migrants in transit per day during 2023 and 2024(2)
Sources: 1 DGME Statistics > Migratory Movements 2 DGME Statistics > Assistance to Migratory Flows 3 Estimation of Population and Housing 2022, INEC .