Immigrations Problems – A new Plan!
Galapagos has a serious immigration problem. Most Ecuadorians do not have a right to live in Galapagos, but do have a right to visit the islands freely. There are about five thousand illegal immigrants living permanently in the islands and the number continues to rise each year.
The aims of the plan focus on: 1) stopping illegal immigrants entering the islands; 2) improve the procedures for authorizing permanent residencies; 3) improve the quality of immigration control and deal with illegals appropriately according to the laws. All visitors who travel to Galapagos will be required to buy a $10 USD transit control card (Tarjeta de Control de Tránsito) TCT. The new ID will hold the general information of the traveler, a picture of the card holder, a chip, and a bar code. The value of the card is additional to the 100 USD fee for entrance to the Galapagos National Park. Whether this will work remains to be seen, but in Ecuador they are as adept as elsewhere at circumventing new regulations.