The crisis in Nicaragua has caused the requests for refugee status to increase, confirmed Director Raquel Vargas from the Directorate of Migration in Costa Rica in a press conference.

According to Vargas, “there is no emergency and we are not facing a crisis at this point, there is an increase (in the number of requests), and we are clear on this; for this reason, we are going over the requests and information to determine which of the applicants were already in the country, which ones need immediate protection, which families require attention and which ones already had residence in the country”.

Migration data shows that in the first 11 days of June, 448 people applied for refugee status.

EFE reported that personnel at the migration office in Managua, Nicaragua also find themselves overwhelmed by the increase in the number of people requesting or renewing their passport with an eye toward emigrating out of the country.

So far this year Costa Rica has received a total 3,970 requests for refuge the majority of which are from Venezuelans, followed by natives from El Salvador, Nicaragua and Colombians.

The Costa Rican Government had  announced a few days back that they would offer courtesy visas for the families of diplomats accredited in Managua, in response to a request made by the Chief of the Delegation of the European Union to Nicaragua, Kenneth Bell to Costa Rican ambassador Eduardo Trejos.

Nicaragua has been facing a serious crisis that began in April 18, when college students took to the streets to protest the revocation of the social security and pension reforms approved unilaterally without the approval of congress; however, the tension escalated quickly due to the government’s acts of repression and protesters today demand an end to the repression and a call for elections.

The number of deaths in Nicaragua as a result of this situation is of more than 150 victims.