51.7% of migrants in Chile live at risk of financial exclusion

51.7% of migrants and refugees residing in Chili They have financial difficulties to cover their essential expenses and a high probability of going into debt in the event of losing their job, according to a study released this Monday by the University of Talca and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

“51.7% of the 1,053 interviewed indicate that, in the event of losing their job, they do not have financial reserves to cover the month’s expenses,” explained the director of the university’s National Center for Migration Studies, Medardo Aguirre.

The investigation also showed that the 61.5% of respondents do not have access to a checking account, card or line of credit and that the 73.3% They turn to other additional jobs or overtime to increase their savings.

The few that do have access to formal financing “They use it, for example, to cover basic needs and debts such as clothing and dividends. That is, they go into debt to cover the remaining expenses each month.”noted the researcher.

“What we are observing with the migrant population is very similar to what is happening with Chileans,” Aguirre added.

Despite the high cost of living, Chile is one of the most attractive countries to migrate within Latin America due to its political and economic stability and in recent years the number of migrants who have arrived in the country in search of new opportunities has increased considerably. , mainly Venezuelans.

It is estimated that there are currently 1.4 million migrants, which is equivalent to more than 7% of the population, with Venezuelans being the most numerous, followed by Peruvians, Haitians and Colombians.

In recent years, the northern part of Chile has experienced several migration crises, with massive waves of clandestine arrivals of migrants and the collapse of small border towns.

To try to stop clandestine entries, Chile militarized its northern border with Peru and Bolivia last February, a measure widely questioned by organizations such as Amnesty International and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).