By: Salvador Baldizon
On May 5, two thousand twenty-three, the Guatemalan Migration Institute issued the Regulation of fees for immigration services of the Guatemalan Migration Institute, through agreement number IGM-029-2023, through which it seeks to implement new technical mechanisms to develop the provisions, as well as the amounts for the collection of the immigration services they provide and that are available to Guatemalans and foreigners. .
On the other hand, on December eighteenth, two thousand and twenty-three, the Institute issues a modification to the agreement mentioned above, through agreement number IGM-57-2023, which is issued due to the significant increase in irregular migration to the country. mainly by extra-regional people, who use the air connection to transit to other countries, the main objective of this modification is to implement measures aimed at ordering safe migration within Guatemalan territory, so it was necessary to add related provisions to the provision of immigration services provided by said institution, specifically regarding rejections in the admission of foreigners to Guatemalan territory.
The modification of the IGM-57-2023 agreement specifically consists of adding the following numerals within the classification of services in article three of travel documents and other documents issued in the Republic of Guatemala, where they establish all the rates for their services, specifically in section 4.2. which corresponds to the Immigration Control Subdirectorate, The following paragraphs 4.2.12 and 4.2.13 were added, which establish the following:
"4.2.12
For the refusal to enter the Republic of Guatemala, the amount of three thousand dollars of the United States of America (3,000 USD) to be imposed for each passenger who fails to comply with the entry requirements to Guatemalan territory, at any of the international airports, which must be made effective by the companies, companies or agencies that own, represent, operate or consignees of means of international transportation, which have provided the air transportation service for said persons, which must be made effective within a period not exceeding three ( 3) days from the notification of the Resolution issued by the Immigration Control Subdirectorate through its delegations;”
"4.2.13
In case of non-compliance with the payment described in the previous subsection, the Subdirectorate of Immigration Control is empowered through its delegations to proceed to collect ten thousand dollars of the United States of America (10,000 USD) for each passenger who is rejected. for not meeting the requirements for entry and stay in the national territory, who enter any of the international airports, without prejudice to the expenses caused by their stay in the national territory and the expenses related to their transfer, in accordance with article 213 of the Decree number 44-2016 of the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala, Migration Code.”
Therefore, it is important aspects that airline companies must take, that foreign passengers comply with the requirements established by Guatemalan law to enter the country and in this way do not incur fines that may be imposed by the Guatemalan Institute of Migration.