No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsExpat LivingJuan Santamaría International Airport at a crawl with stricter passport checks

Juan Santamaría International Airport at a crawl with stricter passport checks

This might be the one time when it really doesn’t matter which line you’re in at the airport, none of them are moving.

Costa Rica’s Juan Santamaría International Airport was choked with lines of passengers on their way in and out of the country Friday as the Immigration Administration reportedly implemented stricter passport controls following news that a Syrian woman entered Costa Rica with a fake Greek passport Tuesday.

The movement of Syrians has come under additional scrutiny following the Paris attacks launched by Syria-linked jihadists.

Exasperated tourists waited in lines for hours Friday after authorities required all travelers to have their passports checked twice regardless if they were entering or leaving the country. Both the name and the passport number of travelers was being checked.

https://twitter.com/JasonSibajaV/status/667804151246548992/photo/1

Immigration Administration Director Kathya Rodríguez told the radio program Nuestra Voz Friday that she had ordered airports and land ports of entry to double down on enforcement “even though it takes more time,” news website AmeliaRueda.com reported. The website reported Friday afternoon that some travelers waited up to four hours passing through the tightened controls at the airport.

There are no plans to hire additional staff, Immigration Administration spokeswoman Andrea Quesada told the daily La Nación. But customs officers will receive additional training, Quesada said.

In addition to the Syrian woman arrested in Costa Rica on Thursday, five Syrians traveling with falsified Greek passports were arrested in Honduras on Wednesday.

Trending Now

Empty Stands and Passionate Fans Mark Women’s Copa América 2025

“I didn’t see Pelé, but I saw Marta,” read a sign held by a small but loyal group of fans who followed the ten...

La Negrita: Faith, Unity, and the Heart of Costa Rica

Today, thousands of pilgrims from across Costa Rica are arriving at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels in Cartago. They come on...

Costa Rica Detains Two in Killing of U.S. Citizen

The Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) has arrested two suspects in connection with the murder of American businessman Eshraghollah Vatani. Vatani was reported missing at...

Costa Rica Vacation Marks New Chapter for Megan Fox and MGK

Actress Megan Fox and musician Machine Gun Kelly, whose real name is Colson Baker, recently headed to Costa Rica for a family vacation with...

Costa Rican Party Faces Scandal Over Alleged Lottery Laundering Links

The leadership of the National Democratic Agenda (ADN) party dismissed the entire executive committee of that group in Guatuso after learning of its members'...

How Nayib Bukele Consolidated Total Power in El Salvador

No one was surprised. El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, is now officially cleared for indefinite reelection. Congress, firmly under his control, paved the way...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica