Chile passed a new immigration law on Sunday that will facilitate administrative expulsion of immigrants.
“The main purpose of this new migration law is to bring order to our homes through an orderly, secure and regular migration policy that enables legal migration and fights illegal immigration,” said President Sebastián Piñera during its entry into force.
The new standard has replaced an existing standard since 1975.
If a foreigner could arrive in Chile as a tourist with the previous law and turn his situation into an employee in the country, it is not possible with the new regulations.
The new law “allows foreigners who want to come to Chile to do so by telling the truth about their intentions and avoiding deception and abuse,” so they will have to apply for a visa before arriving in the country, Piñera said.
In addition, the regulations “facilitate the administrative expulsion of migrants entering Chile illegally, through clandestine steps, without complying with our laws or validating their criminal records,” continued the president, lamenting that at least five people have lost their lives so far. . this year at illegal border crossings in the north.
“We don’t want organized crime, drug trafficking, smuggling, human trafficking and human trafficking or those who don’t respect our laws to enter our country,” he added.
The regulations were processed over an eight-year period and submitted to the Constitutional Court, which deleted six articles, including an article calling for facilitating the assisted return of children entering the country alone, which was declared unconstitutional.
Chile was denounced by Amnesty International this week, claiming that the new project “could reduce the chances for migrants to regularize their legal status once in Chile and that it undermines the principle of non-refoulement”, as happened with the 100 migrants who were irregularly deported in February, mostly Venezuelans and Colombians, while court decisions were still pending, he said.
The National Coordinator for Migrants has categorically rejected the new law.
“It will wreak havoc, not only for those who are currently victims of forced migration in the region, but also for the entire migrant population already residing in the country,” said President Vanessa González.