Help us do migration research!

What we're doing: Conducting research in Costa Rica to help solve the migration challenges the country is experiencing. The goal of our project is to analyze the migration challenges in Costa Rica and provide a cohesive paper outlining specific policy recommendations for how to deescalate the situation before the large influx of migrants destabilizes the country. 

Why travel?: International travel will help our policy recommendations be more accurate and effective because we will experience the conditions firsthand. Travel will help us have contact with those individuals who would be most affected by any policy changes. Migrants may be living in camps or shelters, or otherwise may not be able to be contacted from the US. Traveling to the country and visiting organizations working on the ground will give us a sense of what organizations are doing to complement the policy decisions that are being made by the government.

What your donation funds: Hotel for four researchers for 7 days in San Jose (around $800), plus contributions towards airfare (roughly $450 per person). Additional expenses will include meals and in-country transportation. 

When we hope to travel: March 11-18, 2017

About us: Four grad students at George Washington University studying international affairs with a passion for Latin America and 21st century migration challenges. Team members are Sara Homayouni, Stephanie Presch, Kelly McKinnon, and Cayla Vega. 

About you: Anyone with $1-$2,500 willing to contribute to help fund research about this critical issue :) 

Nitty gritty details about our project: Recently, there has been a large increase in migrants traveling to Costa Rica for a variety of reasons, including economic opportunities and fleeing gang violence. The populations traveling to and through Costa Rica include: Venezuelans fleeing dire economic conditions, Colombians seeking asylum, vast numbers of African, Haitian, and Cuban migrants passing through trying to get to the United States, Nicaraguans coming for work, and Salvadorans and other Northern Triangle migrants fleeing violence in their home countries and trying to immigrate to Costa Rica. This complicated mix has been further exacerbated by Nicaragua closing its southern border, which effectively traps migrants in Costa Rica, combined with Costa Rica’s status as a popular tourist destination, which adds a large number of tourists to the international population in the country.

Current Costa Rican immigration policies are unworkable. They only allow the detention of irregular migrants for 30 days, after which the migrants have to be released or deported to their home countries. However, the government cannot legally deport them without knowing whether they will face human rights abuses if they return. 

Many countries in Central America continue to suffer intense security crises, and if the number of migrants grows beyond Costa Rica’s capacity, they could threaten the stability of one of the most stable countries in Central America, as well as threaten the well-being of the migrants themselves and the affected local populations.



Thanks for any amount you can contribute to our project!