IMMIGRATION CHAOS...PANAMA BUREAUCRACY

Law will govern on 26 August, six months after its enactment.

It was late changes in migration Not only is the delay in the cards for foreigners, but the move must wait. Jose Gonzalez Pinilla Rafael Perez G. panorama@prensa.com

The immigration law, designed as one of the first components of the security strategy that seeks to articulate the government of Martín Torrijos, enters into force on August 26 the next six months after its enactment-with setbacks.

Not only is the fact that the Directorate of ballot papers of the Electoral Tribunal does not have the technology platform to deliver a new "card" to foreigners residing in the country, but the removal of old and "collapsed" building, which was scheduled for August at the latest, must wait five more months. This was admitted Tayr Barsallo, deputy director of the entity will be renamed National Migration Service.

The current National Directorate of Immigration and Naturalization works in an old building on Avenida Cuba in Calidonia, where it should meet daily to about 300 users, causing long queues.
Migration has invested 8.2 million dollars in a four-storey building on the Via Ricardo J. Alfaro, where according to official plans and should be operating. Another key change in plans is the official installation of a new software that cost about $ 5 million, which will do some paperwork via the Internet.

Barsallo expected early next year to hire equipment.

The regulation of the law recently was published in Official Gazette this week

In crowded corridors, about 300 people are served daily in the old building Calidonia.

La Prensa / Noriel Gutierrez

From early morning, hundreds of people queue up in the building of the Directorate of Immigration in the hope of resolving their immigration status.

The adventures that should make foreigners to conduct an enquiry into the small building of the National Directorate of Immigration will not end.

The removal of this institution to its new headquarters in Via Ricardo J. Alfaro is backward. This was acknowledged by the deputy director, Tayr Barsallo.

The Ministry of the Interior and Justice, an entity that is in charge of the Directorate, had estimated, at the beginning of the year, before August Migration would be in their new facilities, purchased at a cost of 8.2 billion dollars. Even as these plans, the move would be prior to the coming new law to govern the migration of the upcoming August 26.

But this has not happened, despite the fact that after the promulgation of the decree law, approved by the Cabinet of President Martín Torrijos, were given six-month deadline for the entry into force legislation. Barsallo explained that the acquisition and removal from a list of materials needed for the refurbishment of the building took time.

Now that lack the Ministry of the procedural order for companies to begin the adjustment of the 4-story building. The cost of such work is $ 7.1 million, money approved last May by the National Economic Council. The move will be done in stages and could be initiated with the primary section in five months. "It depends on when giving orders to proceed and Program of companies," he said.

Building collapsed

Since hours of the morning, even the night before, hundreds of foreigners arriving in the front seat of Migration to Cuba Avenue, in Calidonia, to carry out formalities of visas and permits to stay in the country. They must make long queues in the narrow and crowded hallways. By day, serving about 300 people.

Barsallo reported that the current headquarters, which is owned by the state, continue to be the site of some formalities for foreigners, after they are moved to new premises. "The building collapsed already. But it will also be remodeled, "he said. It will be used to build temporary shelters for foreign families and to establish the future academy migration. In the last month, the Directorate of Immigration, that from August 26th will be the National Migration Service, have joined some 100 new staff.
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To date added nearly 700, Barsallo said. Migration works with a budget of 3.4 billion dollars for next year and will grow to 6.9 million. Another project includes the renovation of this institution is implementing a new software that will allow some streamlining procedures via the Internet, said the deputy director. The investment is $ 5 million since the beginning of next year tenderer recruitment to optimize the system, reported. A security laws The new immigration law, which among other things specifies how they can expel a foreign country, is part of the security strategy that seeks to implement the Cabinet. In fact, the National Migration Service is under the hegemony of the newly created Department of Security, one arm of the Ministry of Government. Migration will be under the same organizational structure which will become reality-if-the National Service and the Border Service Aeronaval, initiatives that are pending in the statutory floor of the Cabinet Council that legislates these days through extraordinary powers.