Chile | Bolivia | Venezuela | Increases illegal crossing of foreigners in Colchane and authorities fear new migration crisis migrants | nndc | WORLD

Chilean authorities have expressed concern over the recent increase in the number of foreigners trying to cross illegally from Bolivia to the border town of Colchane, north of Bolivia. Chile, And fear a new migration crisis in the area.

In recent weeks there has been a “significant increase in irregular migrants” advancing on foot from Bolivia through the inhospitable plateau in the middle of a harsh winter exposing themselves to very low temperatures, in order to cross the border with Chile and to arrive at the town of Colchane, in the region of Tarapacá, indicated the mayor of this locality, Javier Garci’a, in a video to which the AFP acceded.

“81 irregular migrants have been cared for in the last three days alone” according to a report by the Colchane Medical Office, a town of about 2,000 people, mostly of Aymara descent.

Garcia fears that the large influx of migrants – mostly Venezuelans arriving in this remote area on foot – will repeat the collapse recorded last February in Colchane when thousands of foreigners arrived in this town, located at 3,650 meters above sea level.

Since the beginning of the year at least five migrants have died in an attempt to cross none Chile.

Migrants who manage to cross to Colchane advance on a walking route, hanging from trucks or paying about $ 100 to be transported by vans to the towns of Pou Almonte and Iquique.

In the port city of Iquique, on the Pacific Sea, they have settled in tents covering public spaces such as parks and beaches, said José Miguel Carvajal, governor of the Tarapacá region.

“Our region has a migration, health and security crisis”, Indicated Carvajal.

“The migration situation that # Tarapacá is experiencing is serious and is causing inconvenience to citizens”, Indicated the government on his Twitter account.

Garcia and Carvajal agree that the plan put in place by the government of President Sebastián Piñera to stop the arrival of migrants has made the problem worse and call for ministers to move to this region to install a dialogue table to provide a solution definitive to the phenomenon.

Under this plan, the Chilean government has carried out several processes of expulsion of dozens of Venezuelan and Colombian migrants who came to Chile by clandestine steps, which has been criticized by human rights organizations and the UN.

For the health emergency during the coronavirus pandemic, Chile it keeps its borders closed to non-residents and, in the case of Venezuelan citizens, requires a visa processed at the consulates of their countries of origin.

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