Freedom House the adoption of measures in the fight against these crimes, adapted to different circumstances. An “Amnesty Law,” Law 99617 was approved which was to address perpetrators of crimes related to the April 2018 protests through June 2019, prosecuting both political crimes and related common crimes, including those who committed murder, rape, torture, and other crimes. During 2020 and the first months of 2021, the government continued to tighten the space for opposition figures to work, toughening repression and control over the media, CSOs and private companies. The following are key laws: • Law 1040, Law for the Regulation of Foreign Agents, approved on October 15, 2020.18 • Law 1042, Special Law on Cybercrimes, approved on October 27, after the Executive published Decree 24-2020 establishing the National Cybersecurity Strategy 2020-2025, a month before.19 • Law 1055, called Law for the defense of the rights of the people to independence, sovereignty, and self-determination for peace, approved on December 21, 2020.20 • Law 1057, Reform of Article 37 of the Political Constitution to incorporate the penalty of life imprisonment, approved in the second legislature on January 18, 2021. In theory it seeks to punish “hate” crimes, which include those committed by political opponents.21 The clear objective of these laws, particularly Law 1055, is to eliminate the rights of people to be elected and serve in public office, limiting the possibility to participate in a democratic system and leaving opposition candidates out of the process. Considering the lack of independence of the judiciary, demonstrated in different occasions by international organisms of human rights organizations, the application of these laws will be used exclusively to further repress and take repressive measures against CSOs and opposition groups. Rise in migration to Costa Rica since 2018 Since 2018, Nicaraguan political opposition figures, civic activists, HRDs and journalists have confronted escalating repression, attacks, assassinations,22 and persecution by the state. This has prompted 108,000 to leave their homes and families behind for the safety of neighboring Costa Rica, up until March of 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic closed the borders.23 The closeness and shared history of migration between Nicaragua and Costa Rica has made it the primary destination for those fleeing repression, although others have migrated to Mexico, the United States, Panama, and Spain. While many Nicaraguans fled during the initial protests in April 2018 and later, the first weeks of May 2021, the most migrated from the state-led operations to push out opposition voices in the departments of Carazo, Masaya, Matagalpa, and Estelí in July and August of 2018. As the Ortega government continued to repress and persecute critics, according to data from the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners of Costa Rica (DGME), from December 31, 2020 the country had registered nearly 370,000 Nicaraguan residents, about 66 percent of the total number of foreigners living in Costa Rica. To add to this number, there are thousands of Nicaraguans who have already been nationalized and an estimate of 350,000 with an irregular immigration status. Nicaraguans in Costa Rica, January 2021 Category Quantity RESIDENTS OF DIFFERENT CATEGORIES 367,984 SPECIAL CATEGORIES 45,356 TEMPORARY RESIDENCY 8,406 PERMANENT RESIDENCY 314,222 REFUGEES & ASYLUM SEEKERS 121,366 APPROXIMATE TOTAL 489,350 Source: DGME Pressure by the Ortega-Murillo regime on the growing opposition movement will continue, as well as the threats against political opponents, social leaders, journalists, HRDs and CSOs. Consequently, with the formal opening of Costa Rica’s land borders with Nicaragua, the flow of Nicaraguans fleeing persecution and violence will continue to rise. FreedomHouse.org 7