Nicaraguan migration to Costa Rica has been happening for many decades. Over the years Nicaraguans have been socially constructed as the ones to blame for the setbacks in welfare benefits and criminal violence, which fuels daily practices of racism, discrimination and xenophobia in Costa Ricans. Despite being the largest migrant community, Nicaraguans living in Costa Rica have had a really difficult task to organize and engage in civic participation due the high levels of racism, discrimination and xenophobia towards this migrant community. This paper explores the ways civic space is changing for Nicaraguan migrant support organizations in Costa Rica. It is argued that civic space is shrinking in places and for groups with institutionalized freedoms.

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Biekart, Kees
hdl.handle.net/2105/41683
Social Policy for Development (SPD)
International Institute of Social Studies

Montero Peña, Daniela. (2017, December 15). Nicaraguan Migrant Support Organizations and Civic Space in Costa Rica. Social Policy for Development (SPD). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/2105/41683