Immigration numbers odds with perceptions of foreigners in the street

162387_800x600_crop_55dd23bf98603

The Venezuelan head the list of foreigners granted residence in the 2014 and 2015 statistics

In the past five years, the foreign population in the country reached 124.433 people who managed to acquire regulated residence or immigration status in the country.

Statistics from the National Immigration realize that during 2014 and the first six months of 2015, Venezuelans topped the list of foreigners with more approved residences, followed by Colombians, who until 2013 were the first.

Still, from 2010 to 2014 it was the most Colombians managed residences, 15,244, compared with 8,266 Venezuelans approved.

In all, from 2010 until 31 July, 66.781 residences to foreigners, plus 57.652 regulations were issued in the four years of the melting pot were approved program.

During the first six months of the year, Spaniards, Italians and Americans have occupied the third, fourth and fifth place, respectively, approved residence.

In Central America, Nicaraguans and Costa Ricans are the only ones on the list this year. However, between 2010 and 2014, some 611 Guatemalans acquired the residence.

Statistics also show that 1,595 have refused applications for residence, but not broken down by nationality.

Melting Pot

Colombians were the most used the melting pot, a program that was created in 2010 and lasted until 2014.

During this period, 27.541 Colombians legalized their immigration status in the country, followed by Nicaragua (11,745) and Dominicans (6,434). Meanwhile, 5,148 Venezuelans regulated their status during this period and 985 Peruvians.

The list is composed of 89 nationalities African, European and American.

Of the 57.652 foreigners who managed to regulate their status in the country during the past four years, 18,713 had renewed its license until 2014, ie 38.939 were others whose permits had not been renewed or were still in force.

Last May, the government launched a plan to renew these permits expired and explained that they would be granted new.

UNDERREGISTRATION

For the sociologist Marcos Gandásegui, there is underreporting of the foreign population in the country because the official figure apparently does not match the reality that is palpable in the streets. Although, he said, the theme is not statistical, but the absence of a migration policy to respond.

Gandásegui complained that the lack of immigration policy is used by the business sector to hire cheap labor and pay below the minimum wage established in the country.

That fact was also recently reported by the Conato.

The sociologist said that migration is common in countries with economic growth and Panama.

==========

RESIDENCY PERMIT

In 2010, the government created the program Crisol Races

In four years, 57.652 foreigners were able to regulate their immigration status in the country with the program

From 2010 until 31 July this year, another 66.781 have achieved to establish their residence in the country

 Fuente: http://laestrella.com.pa/

 

 

Ernesto Chong de León, Ernesto Emilio Chong Coronado