Fines And Fees - An Obstacle To Overcome For Foreigners At The ATLAPA "Melting Pot" Immigration Fair

(Panama-Guide) - Panama America - Hundreds of illegal immigrants in Panama who went to the ATLAPA Convention Center yesterday to participate in the "Melting Pot" program in an attempt to normalize their immigration status in the country expressed their concerns over not being able to pay the fees and fines established by the National Immigration Service. These people, of various nationalities, came hoping to get the card that identifies them as being legal in Panama, but for many their dreams were cut short, because Immigration has not established any way for them to make payment arrangements to be able to pay the accumulated fines and fees over time. Testimonials. Mariela Pardo, a Colombian national, came early to stand in line in order to be one of the first people legalized. Despite fulfilling the requirements, she did bring all of the money with her, so she had to wait to see if her husband could find a way to get a loan. Mariela and several other foreigners found themselves with this same dilemma. The lack of money would be an obstacle on the road.
For her part, María Cristina González, the Director of the National Immigration Service, said the amount they are charging is much less than what the applicants would have had to pay on the normal fee schedule. She said the amount being charged already contains a discount, and therefore they cannot establish a payment arrangement. She said members of her staff are performing socioeconomic assessments to determine which of the low-income foreigners they can help.

The thousands of immigrants who came to ATLAPA did not seem to mind putting up with the discomfort of sleeping on the floor, the cold night, or the lack of bathrooms, but they wanted to be at the front of the line and the first ones to obtain the identity card. This program to normalize the immigration status is for all foreigners who have been in Panama for more than two years, who have no pending cases with either the Panamanian justice system or that of their home country. In addition, Immigration is working in conjunction with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and the Department of Security of Colombia, to ensure that those people who are being legalized in Panama do not represent a danger to the country.