Costa Rican leaders met last week to analyze the country’s progress on the situation of refugees in the country, said the Foreign Relations Ministry press office.

As of June 30, 2017, there are a total of 4,414 persons recognized and living as refugees in Costa Rica; however, in recent years there has been a marked increase in the number of refugee applications. In 2015, 2,203 applications were received, while in 2016 they were 4,470.

Given the growing number of applications, the country is preparing to create a national Comprehensive Framework for Protection and Solutions to Respond to the Situation of Refugees as outlined by the United Nations General Assembly, said the foreign ministry.

On September 19, 2016, the UN adopted the New York Declaration on the Global Covenants on Refugees and Migrants, and Costa Rica, as a signatory, is actively working to report on their progress and actions regarding the issue.

An information session was held Thursday, August 3 at the Costa Rican Foreign Ministry’s headquarters as part of a national consultations process which involves dialogue and input from public and private sectors, members of the diplomatic corps, and academia on the topic of political asylum in the country.

The meeting also identified areas of improvement for fulfilling the UN mandate.

The event was attended by officials from the Directorate of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, diplomats from a number of countries in Costa Rica, as well as Carlos Maldonado, United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in Costa Rica.

Vice President of the Republic, Ana Helena Chacón, announced the decision to create a Costa Rica country chapter under the UN framework due to the commitments made by Costa Rica in the New York Declaration and to the increase in refugee applications.