MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguay enacts “linked towns” bill for residents of border locations

The new legislation will represent “a solution to the problems of the chaotic traffic that usually occurs in border cities,” Kronawetter pointed out

Paraguayan President Santiago Peña signed into law a bill providing for the creation of the so-called “linked towns” bordering Argentina and Brazil. The measure grants residents a preferential status in economic, labor, health, and cultural issues, it was explained.

“This is not going to force both countries to give a differentiated and preferential treatment to those who want to cross, simply, to carry out their activities within the radius of the city bordering Paraguay,” Paraguay's Migrations Director Jorge Kronawetter pointed out. The new legislation will represent “a solution to the problems of the chaotic traffic that usually occurs in border cities, especially when it comes to crossing the border with Argentina,” he added.

“This agreement expresses that countries have to deliver a border neighboring transit document, with which all the migratory and customs procedures have to be simplified,” Kronawetter noted. For example, border crossings will “have to have a preferential lane to pass in a much less cumbersome way, much more agile,” he went on. “This neighboring transit today represents practically 50% of the normal crossings at the different border points.”

According to Kronawetter, Paraguay will henceforth be implementing a simplified crossing system through joint technological developments with the Information and Communication Technologies Ministry. The official also mentioned the example of Alberdi a town where 300 to 400 people cross the border daily.

Regarding the Border Neighborhood Transit Document (DTVF, as per its acronym in Spanish), the Paraguayan official said that “we are going to have the neighboring border transit document through a web application with a QR code, and that you can have on your cell phone, with the corresponding validation, the neighboring transit document for people living in those localities,” he said.

The town pairs with Argentina are the following: Posadas-Encarnación, Clorinda-Puerto Falcón-Nanawa, Formosa-Alberdi, Puerto Pilar-Bermejo, ltuzaingó-Ayolas, ltatí-ltá Corá, Puerto Rico-Puerto Triunfo, Misión La Paz-Pozo Hondo, Puerto Cano/Mansilla-Pilar, Puerto lguazú-Presidente Franco.

And with Brazil they are: Aral Moreira-Pedro Juan Caballero/Capitán Bado, Bela Vista-Bella Vista Norte, Caracol-San Carlos del Apa, Coronel Sapucaia-Capitán Bado, Foz do lguaçu-Ciudad del Este/Puerto Presidente Franco/Hernandarias, Guaíra/Mundo Novo- Saltos del Guairá, Japorâ-Saltos del Guairá, Paranhos-Ypejú, Ponta Pora-Pedro Juan Caballero, Puerto Murtinho-Carmelo Peralta/San Lázaro, Santa Helena-Puerto Indio, Sete Queda-Corpus Christi.

The possibility stems from an agreement on border towns Paraguay signed with Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, providing for economic, migratory, and access facilities to health and education services for residents of bordering cities.

In addition to Paraguay, Parliaments in Brazil and Uruguayan have already endorsed this agreement which is now awaiting Buenos Aires' nod.