ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: A LONG-TERM PROBLEM IN THE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 QUITO 000414

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID ECON ETRD EFIS PREL PGOV SENV SMIG EC
SUBJECT: ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: A LONG-TERM PROBLEM IN THE
GALAPAGOS



1. Summary. While the conservation, tourism, and fishing
sectors in the Galapagos may disagree on the best use of
natural resources in the archipelago, they do agree on one
thing - that illegal immigration is the most serious threat
to long-term sustainability in the Galapagos. Every sector
with which we have spoken raised immigration as the foremost
long-term issue affecting the islands. Immigration to the
Galapagos is controlled and regulated under the Galapagos
Special Law, but enforcement has always been the real
concern. The Galapagos will continue to attract illegal
immigrants from the Ecuadorian mainland, as the average
standard of living is higher on the islands. Moreover, the
problem will persist until the authorities develop a rational
and enforceable system for controlling it. End Summary.

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So Many People, So Little Space
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2. When the Galapagos Islands were set aside as a national
park in 1959, roughly 3% (or 200 square kilometers) of the
land area was set aside for human habitation. At that time,
there were approximately 1,000 habitants. GOE officials
estimate the current population of the Galapagos to be
approximately 20,000. INGALA (Instituto Nacional Galapagos -
the regional planning and coordinating counsel) and
conservation officials estimate that it is more like 27,000
habitants.


3. INGALA and the conservation sector also believe that the
annual increase in the Galapagos population due to illegal
immigration is as high as 10%, while GOE officials and the
tourism and fishing sectors cite 6%.


4. The number of tourists for CY2003 was 91,293, an 11%
increase over 2002, which saw a 6% increase over 2001.
Surprisingly, the number of U.S. tourists over the same time
period was somewhat static, hovering at slightly more than
25,000. The number of Ecuadorians going to the Galapagos
increased by 14% from 2001 to 2002, and by 24% from 2002 to

2003. What is unusual is that the number of Ecuadorians
coming to the Galapagos in 2003 actually exceeded the number
of Amcits by 2,500. While many are traveling to the
Galapagos for legitimate reasons, a large percentage is
assumed to be illegal immigrants. This also lends some
credence to the INGALA/conservation sector suggestion that
Ecuadorians are migrating to the islands at a much higher
rate and that the current population is higher than GOE
estimates.


5. Representatives from all sectors note that immigration
from the mainland to the islands is currently at untenable
levels. In the best-case scenario - 6% annual rate of growth
in population and a current population of 20,000 - there will
be an estimated 40,000 inhabitants on the islands by 2014.
This level would be unsustainable, given current
infrastructure, and could lead to political pressure to
extend the size of the area set aside for human habitation.
This level of population would also contribute to increasing
pollution and other environmental damage.

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Controlling Immigration
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6. The Galapagos Special Law (GSL) governs immigration to
the islands. This law, signed March 18, 1998, specifies that
there are three categories of people on the islands -
Permanent residents, temporary residents, and tourists. A
permanent resident is: 1) someone who was born in the
Province of Galapagos or the children of permanent resident
parents; 2) an Ecuadorian or foreigner who legalized as a
permanent resident and is married to a permanent resident;
and 3) an Ecuadorian or foreigner who became permanent
residents and had been living in the Province of Galapagos
for five years as of March 17, 1998. A temporary resident
is: 1) a person temporarily assigned to the Galapagos (e.g.,
military, academics, religious, etc.); 2) persons in a labor
dependency relationship; and 3) spouse and children of a
temporary resident. Tourists and transients are permitted to
stay up to 90 days and may not participate in any profitable
activities.


7. The problem is Ecuadorians arriving from the mainland as
tourists and staying on indefinitely to work. The issue is
enforcement of the GSL. Local immigration officials on the
Galapagos do not check the length of stay of an individual
when they are departing. With the mainland only a short (and
cheap) flight away, Ecuadorians come and go working tourist
related jobs at higher wages than are paid on the mainland.
(Note: The park entrance fee for residents is $6, as opposed
to the $100 charged to foreigners.) With per capita income
on the Galapagos higher than on the mainland and the
affordable cost of traveling to the Galapagos, it is no
surprise that those with no prospects are drawn to this
economy.

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Short on Solutions
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8. Controls on the movement of populations within a country
are spectacularly difficult to enforce, and Ecuador, with its
generally corrupt public institutions, is particularly poor
at enforcing such controls. We are considering sending some
Ecuadorian immigration officials to the U.S. on International
Visitors grants in order to expose them to workable ideas for
controlling immigration. However, as long as income
differentials persist, it is likely that illegal immigration
will remain a problem.

Chacon