Lawyers call for end to immigration fairs

THE IMMIGRATION Commission of the National College of Lawyers has demanded the immediate suspension of immigration fairs run by the government.
Irma Silka Araúz, president of the Commission, stressed that since this program started, the college has expressed concern about the relaxed controls on people entering the country who do not meet the established legal requirements, thus endangering national security.
The fairs said the commission allows people with ties to drug trafficking and organized crime to locate here, as well as those who are not economically solvent.
In view of this situation, the commission asked the incoming government to review the practice, especially the fees charged to the immigrants. It also asked President-elect Juan Carlos Varela to develop a "comprehensive immigration policy" that conforms to the national reality, in terms of health, work, housing and education, reports La Prensa.
College President José Alberto Álvarez sent a letter to Chancellor Francisco Álvarez de Soto to make a formal complaint against the fairs. He said that 70 percent of migrants who attend these events have no legal status, making them targets for exploitation.