Workshop on Unscrupulous Immigration Consultants in Panama
Immigrants from different parts of the world, including Central Americans, South Americans, Asians, Europeans, and Africans, arrived in Panama for a workshop organized by the National Immigration Service to address the issue of unscrupulous immigration consultants. The workshop highlighted cases of irregular Cubans and the regularization of migrants in Panama from 2009 to 2014. It also discussed the presence of fraudulent individuals offering false permits and identity cards to foreign nationals at the former headquarters of the Immigration Service.
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NATIONAL IMMIGRATION SERVICE NATIONAL IMMIGRATION SERVICE Workshop on Unscrupulous Immigration Consultants Panama December 15, 2014
Unscrupulous Immigration Consultants NATIONAL IMMIGRATION SERVICE Immigrants from different parts of the world arrive in Panama: Central Americans South Americans Asians Europeans Africans
Unscrupulous Immigration Consultants NATIONAL IMMIGRATION SERVICE IRREGULAR CUBANS: JULY 2009 - JUNE 2014 DETALLE TOTAL 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 TOTAL 5,775 66 56 1,674 2,021 1,958 HOMBRES 4,152 55 45 1,208 1,436 1,408 MUJERES 1,623 11 11 466 585 550 Actualizado al 30 de abril del 2014 2,500 2,000 WOMEN 28% 1,500 1,000 MEN 72% 500 - 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014
Unscrupulous Immigration Consultants NATIONAL IMMIGRATION SERVICE
Unscrupulous Immigration Consultants NATIONAL IMMIGRATION SERVICE CUADRO. 3 MIGRANTES REGULARIZADOS ( LEGALIZADOS ) EN LA REP BLICA DE PANAM SEG N FORMA: A O 2009-2014 DETALLE TOTAL 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 TOTAL DE LEGALIZADOS 113,046 17,074 20,914 16,543 20,062 25,448 13,005 PERMISOS DE RESIDENCIA 64,414 17,074 9,870 10,023 12,419 10,074 4,954 REGULARIZACI N EXTRAORDINARIA 48,632 - 11,044 6,520 7,643 15,374 8,051 RESIDENCE PERMIT VS EXTRAORDINARY REGULARIZATION: 2009 - 2014 PERMISOS DE RESIDENCIA REGULARIZACI N EXTRAORDINARIA 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 - 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Unscrupulous Immigration Consultants NATIONAL IMMIGRATION SERVICE Unscrupulous immigration consultants in Panama: Three years ago, unscrupulous defrauders located at the former headquarters of the Immigration Service allegedly resolved immigration procedures for foreign nationals and even offered them false permanent residence permits and identity cards without much paperwork.
Unscrupulous Immigration Consultants NATIONAL IMMIGRATION SERVICE Unscrupulous immigration consultants in Panama: To date, unscrupulous persons still exist that offer false naturalization letters and false identity cards to unsuspecting foreign nationals, charging large sums of money. The passports of foreign nationals that have entered the country in an irregular manner are stamped with false seals. Foreign nationals pay large amounts of money for promised immigration permits.
Unscrupulous Immigration Consultants NATIONAL IMMIGRATION SERVICE Unscrupulous immigration consultants in Panama: The National Immigration Service urges victims of fraud that have implemented procedures to become Panamanian citizens to report the defrauders to the National Immigration Service (Immigration Unit for Field Actions UMAC, Spanish acronym).
Unscrupulous Immigration Consultants NATIONAL IMMIGRATION SERVICE Unscrupulous immigration consultants in Panama: Foreign nationals do not report such cases. To date, only a few persons have reported cases to the National Immigration Service in 2014, and for the reported cases the defrauder was identified and referred to the competent authorities.
Unscrupulous Immigration Consultants NATIONAL IMMIGRATION SERVICE Unscrupulous immigration consultants in Panama: In 2013, 22 foreign nationals were arrested in Panama that were wanted by international authorities for offences of fraud, since they offered fraudulent immigration services.
Unscrupulous Immigration Consultants NATIONAL IMMIGRATION SERVICE Unscrupulous immigration consultants in Panama: Immigration procedures should be implemented exclusively at the facilities of the institution, since it is known that criminals continue to deceive foreign nationals with the same modus operandi, and when the foreign nationals initiate the legal procedures they discover that the documents are false and that they have been victims of fraud. Some persons claim to be immigration officers and are defrauding foreign nationals, asking them for money and giving them false documents, and when the foreigners come to the National Immigration Service they are informed that they have been defrauded.
Unscrupulous Immigration Consultants NATIONAL IMMIGRATION SERVICE Unscrupulous immigration consultants in Panama: In addition, unscrupulous lawyers defraud foreign nationals and do not carry out the required immigration procedures. These lawyers should be sent to the Public Prosecutor s Office and should be reported to the National Bar Association in order to initiate a disciplinary process before the Fourth Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice. In Panama, due to the lack of reports disciplinary processes have been initiated for less than 1% of the cases.
Unscrupulous Immigration Consultants NATIONAL IMMIGRATION SERVICE 1. Unscrupulous immigration consultants exist in Panama: Unscrupulous immigration consultants do exist in Panama: Lawyers Paralegals Former immigration officers
Unscrupulous Immigration Consultants NATIONAL IMMIGRATION SERVICE 2. In affirmative cases: What legal or administrative framework has been implemented in the country. Decree Law 3, February 22, 2008 Act 38, governing administrative procedures Act 9, governing the legal profession Criminal Code
Unscrupulous Immigration Consultants NATIONAL IMMIGRATION SERVICE 3. Upon identifying cases of fraud, what types of approaches exist to investigate these practices and punish them, if appropriate. A report is filed with the Migration Unit of Field Actions (UMAC), the relevant investigations are carried out and, if sufficient evidence exists of an offence, the case is referred to the Public Prosecutor s Office. Offences are penalized as fraud and corruption of civil servants.
NATIONAL IMMIGRATION SERVICE THANK YOU
