A plane with migrants stranded on the border between Chile and Peru departed for Venezuela | Chilean President Gabriel Boric called the flight a “diplomatic triumph”

2023-05-08 02:12:18

A plane with more than 100 Venezuelan migrants took off this Sunday from northern Chile, on a repatriation flight for people who had been stranded for weeks on the border with Peru. Chilean President, Gabriel Boricsaid that the flight is a “diplomatic triumph” and assured that it will remain in permanent contact with other governments in the region to face the migratory crisis.

At a press point from his native Punta Arenas after casting his vote in the constituent elections this Sunday, Boric congratulated the foreign ministries of Chile and Venezuela “for having put humanity first and not conflicts.” The president promised that his government will guarantee the return “in decent conditions” of all migrants who so wish.

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Hundreds of migrants, mainly Venezuelans, have remained for two weeks on the northern border of Chile with the intention of leaving the country after a tightening of immigration controls. Peru prevents them from passing alleging lack of documentation, and militarized its borders for 60 days to reinforce surveillance and face the insecurity associated with foreign citizens, as ordered by President Dina Boluarte.

This Sunday’s flight to Venezuela departed from the city of Arica, some two thousand kilometers north of Santiago, and is part of the “Return to the Homeland” program of the government of President Nicolás Maduro. The Chilean authorities affirmed that it is a first repatriation flight. Other planes should leave soon, although not necessarily from Arica.

Chile had already militarized its northern border in an attempt to control the irregular entry of migrants. In addition, Congress approved laws that tighten immigration control, such as one that orders the detention of those who do not carry their documentation and another that extends the detention period to be able to manage the expulsion.

According to the UN refugee agency (Acnur), an average of 150 to 200 migrants per day are stranded between neighboring South American countries.