In Argentine prisons, there are nearly 5,000 foreign prisoners

Should foreign criminals be expelled from the country? Are judges permissive with them? How many prisoners from other countries are in Argentine prisons? How much money does the state invest in the maintenance of each inmate? These and other similar questions flooded the TV screens after a judge and a judge released in less than a day two motorcycles, a Colombian woman and a Uruguayan woman, who had been arrested at different demonstrations. fraganti ". flagrant-committing thefts. Both received derisory penalties such as payment of 700 pesos or collaboration with a package of milk in a community cafeteria, while their immigration papers were not in order and they had dead leaves in their home. native country.

When the public is consulted, the vast majority believes that foreign criminals should be deported without regard. "We have enough with ours", is one of the reviews that repeats itself.

While the two stories – Colombian Jair Stevens Jurado Mora and Uruguayan Jose Franco Antonio – are more than well-known, it may be time to stop the ball and look at the whole field, not just the opponent in front.

In the last few hours, many numbers, some inaccurate, have been taken into account regarding the percentage of foreign prisoners in provincial and federal prisons. Also on their nationalities.

Infobaethrough the ministries of justice of the province of Buenos Aires and the nation accessed the latest known data. For starters, it must be said that imprisoned foreigners They are a minority. But most of them, especially in the last five years, have been arrested and sentenced for serious crimes such as drug trafficking.

Several of them, for example, are involved in entry files into our country (only in 2018) about 410 tons of cocaine and marijuana.

In total, 4,443 foreigners are deprived of their liberty in Argentine prisons. And although this number may seem bulky, it represents 6% of prisoners.

A study dated last year by the country's Prison Prosecution Office (PPN) reveals that in 2002, the number of foreign prisoners was 2,183, less than 50% of the current number. At that time they accounted for 5% of the prison population.

87% are men and poorly educated. 76% have finished only elementary school.

The 58.4% of foreign prisoners – like the others – are prosecuted only by the courts – that is to say that the benefit of innocence governs – and 41.2% are serving a sentence. The report of the National Penitentiary Prosecutor, to which Infobae subscribed, indicates that the crimes attributed to them are mostly drug law violations, 2,017 cases, followed by crimes against property1,365 cases; against people -like for example a murder-933 facts and among others against badual integrity, 659 cases.

The work also shows that 70% of female detainees have no firm belief; and 71% of women deprived of their liberty are involved in drug trafficking cases, marketing or possession of narcotics, usually in a secondary role of the mafia network, such as that of mules.

Foreigners in Buenos Aires Prisons

Infobae was informed by the Ministry of Justice of Buenos Aires, in charge of Gustavo Ferrari, that in the penitentiary units of this province, on Thursday 31 January 2,209 foreigners were imprisoned and represent 5% of the prisoners in these prisons (1 percent less than in federal governments).

On the subject and when it is accessed by this means, Gustavo FerrariThe Minister of Justice of the Governor, Maria Eugenia Vidal, said: "The province of Buenos Aires is always ready to welcome foreigners who come to work legally and honestly, but the law in force is also applied and applied to them. able to be expelled ".

Ferrari refers to the Buenos Aires Penitentiary Service (SPB) – which is under its orbit – there are 300 prisoners in conditions not to be missed in their country. In recent years, and stridently, 42 people have already been expelled to Paraguay, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia and Uruguay.

Of a total of 2,209 foreigners in Buenos Aires penitentiaries, 1,100 are of Paraguayan nationality; 382 Peruvians; 185 are Bolivians; 171 Uruguayans, 101 Chileans; 71 Colombians; 24 Dominicans, 20 Brazilian, 8 Chinese, 7 Ecuadorian, 6 Italian; and the rest comes from Armenia, Cuba, Korea, Denmark, Spain, France, Haiti, Israel, Mexico, Russia, India, and more. Ukraine, the United States and Venezuela..

On the distribution by jurisdiction of the housing of nearly 5,000 foreigners deprived of their liberty 48.6% are in units of the Federal Penitentiary Service; 37.4% are imprisoned in prisons in the province of Buenos Aires; 2.2% in Cordoba, 1.2% in Misiones and the rest in the other districts.

As in the prisons of the province of Buenos Aires, Most of the prisoners of the Federal Penitentiary Service (SPF) are of Paraguayan nationality, followed by Peruvians and Bolivians.

Law of Alienation. This is what is called the Immigration Act which allows for the expulsion of offenders through immigration.

According to this regulation, for the reporter, the offender must serve 50% of the sentence imposed by a judge.

This is an obstacle when it comes to speeding up the proceedings, as the slowness of justice means that most of the people imprisoned today are on trial but without a conviction.

Meanwhile, and according to the budget approved by the legislature of Buenos Aires, the provincial state invests on average about 40,000 pesos per month and per prisoner, taking into account food, health service, penitentiary wages, transfers and even gas and lighting services of penitentiary units.

Once again justice. That by slow becomes unfair.

According to the law 25 871, the "CONDEMNED" on the Argentine territory for crimes committed in our country can be "blocked" in their country and remain at liberty, insofar as they do not have any folder pending in this country.

For immigration law, This is only in cases where a family is established in the country and is responsible for it that it can avoid being evicted.

Over the last three years, changes to this law by the national government and approved by Parliament have allowed for a paradigm shift to facilitate the deportation of foreign offenders, even though judicial time extends intentions. .

A few weeks ago, the National Directorate of Migration signed an agreement with the Ministry of Justice of Buenos Aires and the SPB to facilitate the exchange of information in order to speed up the procedures of the Expulsion – extrarañamiento.

Among its main points, there is the possibility for Migrations to access the records of the Buenos Aires Penitentiary Service in order to speed up the administrative processes of alienation and improve communication with the authorities. Provincial Court.