This project, now concluded, was formally called “Strengthening the capacities of the government of Costa Rica and host communities for the reception and integration of Nicaraguan migrants and refugees.”

Costa Rica has maintained a faithful tradition of protecting migrants, asylum seekers and refugees over time. Despite the challenges that receiving more than 70 thousand requests for recognition of refugee status during 2018 and 2019 has represented for Costa Rica, it has reaffirmed its commitment to being a humanitarian country, integrating this population, with full opening of its health and education social services. In this sense, Costa Rica has developed firm and concrete actions to receive, care for and integrate migrants and refugees under a human rights approach, and has faced the pressures that its systems have received. To support these efforts, the OAS General Secretariat implemented this project to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Government of Costa Rica and host communities to facilitate the successful reception and integration of Nicaraguan migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees. This project provided Costa Rica:

1) Recommendations to national and sub-national authorities regarding the reception and integration of migrants and refugees that allow the Costa Rican authorities to address these realities;

2) Knowledge to government officials and members of receiving communities regarding the reception and integration of migrants and refugees to provide better care to these populations; and

3) Alternatives for socioeconomic integration for migrants and refugees and members of the host community.