Chile confirmed that a first repatriation flight of hundreds of Venezuelan migrants stranded on the border with Peru will depart on Sunday, who have been seeking to return to their country of origin for weeks, Chilean Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren said Thursday.
“I want to confirm the arrival of a venezuelan plane to the Arica airport to pick up a fairly large group of migrants who are just stranded at the border”, the Chilean foreign minister told journalists and specified that this operation will be carried out with a private airline from early Sunday morning.
For more than two weeks, hundreds of migrants, mainly Venezuelans but also Haitians and Colombians, have remained on the northern border after leaving Chile after a tightening of immigration controls in the country.
Peruthat prevents them from passing alleging lack of documentation, also decreed a state of emergency for 60 days at its borders and ordered the dispatch of soldiers to reinforce surveillance and face insecurity associated with foreigners, according to the president Dina Boluarte.
Chili it had already militarized its borders, in an attempt to control the irregular entry of migrants. Additionally, Congress approved laws that order the detention of any migrant who does not carry their documentation and another that extends the detention period to be able to manage the expulsion.
According to the UN Office for Refugees (Acnur), an average of 150 to 200 migrants gather daily on the border between Chile and Peru.
Faced with the blockade by the Peruvian authorities, some have crossed through irregular crossings towards the Peruvian border city of Tacna and others have settled on the Chilean side, in the city of Arica.
The repatriation flight “It is part of the return to the homeland program promoted by the Venezuelan government”, added the Chilean foreign minister.
In addition to the migrants waiting in Arica, another group from Tacna will also board the flight.
“I think it is an important advance that allows us to adequately face this humanitarian problem”, assured the Chilean diplomat.
Source: AFP
Source: Gestion
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