Nicaraguans Stuck in Local Jail; New Departure Flight Set

Christmas has passed and although there are New Year festivities to come, two Nicaraguans being held at the Sav-la-mar police station will not have the privilege of being reunited with their families in time. 

The men were detained in the town on February 13, 2021 and charged with illegal entry. Upon attending court February 25, they were each fined $5,000 or 30 days in jail; but despite paying the fine, they remain stuck in police lock-up. Just last month, the Nicaraguans tried frantically to cling to the little hope they had left, but it’s slipping away. 

On November 16, a senior director at the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) informed our news team that they were in possession of the men’s travel documents and were awaiting confirmation of available flights to have them back home by month end but a COVID-19 infection is reportedly the culprit behind another lengthy delay. 

However, according to the Nicaraguan, there hasn’t been any proof of the test results and his friend has not been placed in isolation. The sister of the Nicaraguan who reportedly tested positive, is skeptical about her brother’s COVID-19 result, but concerned about his health regardless. 

CEO of PICA, Andrew Wynter says he has confirmed that one Nicaraguan had tested positive for the virus and has sought to assure all arrangements are in place for the men to depart on January 13, 2022.