Don Modesto's face lights up in a special way when he speaks of his
beloved Nicaragua.  This seems to happen to most migrants when
fond memories of loved ones, places, and even smells of their
country of origin creep up.  But eventually they come back to
reality and to the fact that they decided to migrate in search of
better economic opportunities.

Don Modesto was born and raised in Nicaragua, but has lived in
Costa Rica for the past eight years.  He says life has been
good in his adopted country – better jobs and quality of
life.  "Guanacaste (the town where he lives in Costa Rica) has
provided a good home for me.  I have been treated with
kindness by Costa Ricans.  I think I have found a good place
to make a life, with good employment opportunities, although
sometimes I have experienced humiliation and abuse from
unscrupulous persons."

What Don Modesto is referring to is something experienced by
thousands of Nicaraguan migrants in Costa Rica.

In the past three decades migration flows from Nicaragua to
Costa Rica have been prompted by natural disasters, political
conflicts and economic downturns.  A weak economy and the end
of war in Nicaragua have been the main factors for the most recent
migration flows.  The shrinking economy prompted many to
migrate to Costa Rica in search of employment, and the end of war
meant that people could move freely across borders.

For unskilled workers and those in sectors suffering from high
unemployment, Costa Rica was an attractive and accessible option,
with a high demand for labour and a better quality of life.

Macroeconomic policies, which have translated into increased
social exclusion, have conspired to become push factors for
thousands of Nicaraguans.  Costa Rica acts as a magnet by
offering abundant work in sectors that are becoming less and less
attractive to the native population. 

Although the exact numbers are not available, estimates point to
some 250,000 Nicaraguans living in Costa Rica on a permanent
basis.  A similar number is estimated to be in the country in
an irregular fashion, working in seasonal jobs and returning home
once the work is over.

The increase in the number of Nicaraguans in Costa Rica is also
based on the changes that have occurred in the receiving country
since the mid 1980's.  Costa Rica has seen a marked increase
in the demand for labour in the service sector, which the local
population has readily filled, leaving behind back-breaking work
such as coffee picking, harvesting sugar cane, citrus and other
fruits, as well as domestic work and construction.

Fear and ignorance of the law are the main reasons why migrant
workers prefer not to register with the social security
system.  For employers this represents a huge savings, but for
the workers it means that they are not protected in case of
on-the-job accidents.  Also, when irregular migrants are
hired, for example, in the construction industry, no contract is
offered. They are paid below the minimum wage, and are not covered
by social security, which includes workman's compensation
insurance.

Working conditions on construction sites near border areas are
worse. The living conditions offered by employers are below minimum
standards, the work days are long and the diet consists of the most
basic fare – rice, beans, corn tortillas and coffee, without
the much-needed protein needed to perform the strenuous work.

The Costa Rican Government has worked tirelessly to protect the
rights of migrant workers, but there are certain gaps.  For
example, when hiring an irregular migrant, unscrupulous employers
always have the upper hand.

Johnny Ruíz, Head of the Labour Migration Department of
the Ministry of Labour and Social Security is an advocate of
organized labour migration schemes. "When a migrant from Nicaragua
decides to migrate to our country in search of work, they should do
so legally so that he or she can be protected by our
laws.   This way we can be sure that employers are
complying with the labour laws," he says.

In the past few years Costa Rica has experienced a boom in
various economic sectors. One of them is tourism-related
construction.  In 2007, more than four million square metres
of new construction will be finished; this includes almost three
million for family dwellings and close to one million for commerce
and industry.  According to the Chamber of Commerce, 41 per
cent of this building boom is taking place in coastal regions.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MTSS by its Spanish
acronym) has confirmed that the country is facing a scarcity of
manpower, especially in the Guanacaste area where most construction
companies complain of a serious shortage of local manpower. 
More than 60 per cent of construction workers in this region are
migrants from Nicaragua.

To harness the development potential inherent in migration
flows, spur economic development and improve living condition in
areas with high rates of migration, the Spanish Agency for
International Cooperation (AECI by its Spanish acronym) provided
funding to IOM to put in place a co-development project between
Costa Rica and Nicaragua. 

One of the main objectives of the project is to regularize the
flows of Nicaraguan migrant workers in Costa Rica, by ensuring
legal integration into the local labour market, improve the
economic and psychosocial situation of the migrants and their
families and to promote the social integration of migrants into
Costa Rican society.

To manage migration flows between the two countries, IOM offices
in Costa Rica and Nicaragua are working with the Ministries of
Labour and Foreign Affairs and Immigration Services to ensure that
Nicaraguans registered in a labour migration database are matched
with the current labour needs in Costa Rica, which is based on
requests made by employers to the MTSS.

Once in Costa Rica, each migrant receives a work permit which
includes the name of the employer and the length of the
contract.

Ruíz believes that the success of this project depends on
the willingness of all parties to work together, "We need to create
and establish a solid working relationship between the officials in
both countries.  This will ensure that Nicaraguans will have
the information needed to make an informed decision and to migrate
in a regular and orderly fashion."

"The project is benefiting both countries," explains Jorge
Peraza IOM Program Officer in San José.  "In October of
2007, the Costa Rican Government announced that a quota of 10,000
migrant workers from Nicaragua will be admitted under temporary
labour migration permits."

For 2008, preliminary estimates indicate that more than 61,000
workers will be needed for the construction sector, and more than
77,000 for 2009 and 2010.

Horacio Argueta of Nicaragua's Ministry of Labour welcomes the
IOM-managed project. "The greatest benefit for our government will
be the benefit that our nationals will receive.  Nicaraguan
workers will be well informed and protected under Costa Rican
laws.  This project has stepped in to fill a great gap: labour
migration that truly benefits the migrants," he says.

Everyone involved in the Co-development Project is hoping that
all migrants, like Don Modesto, are able to make their dream a
reality.

"No doubt that Costa Rica and Nicaragua are different, but I
cannot allow myself to think of going back to my country of
birth.  It was here that I was able to reach my goals; life
has been good to me here. Bur Nicaragua will forever remain in my
heart," asserts Don Modesto with an air of melancholy.