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Migration Crisis Peru-Chile

Peru Declares Emergency at Chile Border Over Migration

Latina Republic

Peru Declares State of Emergency at Chile Border as Kast’s Migration Rhetoric Triggers Cross-Border Crisis

Peru has declared a 60-day state of emergency in the southern border region of Tacna, as irregular migration flows from Chile surged in recent weeks, overwhelming local authorities and creating what Peruvian officials describe as a security and humanitarian crisis.

The measure, enacted through Supreme Decree No. 135-2025-PCM, applies to Palca, Tacna, and La Yarada–Los Palos and authorizes the deployment of military forces in support of police operations to prevent unauthorized crossings and curb related crimes, including human smuggling, trafficking, and contraband, according to Peru 21.

 

 

President José Jerí confirmed the decree would enter into force before midnight on November 29, noting that Tacna is the first border zone in Peru placed under a state of emergency specifically due to irregular migration.

But in an exclusive interview with Chile’s Meganoticias on November 28, Jerí made clear that recent political messaging in Chile played a direct role in triggering the crisis.

 

 

Asked whether statements by Chilean president-elect José Antonio Kast — who publicly urged migrants in irregular situations to leave Chile or face expulsion once he takes office — influenced Peru’s decision, Jerí responded unequivocally:

“That has been a factor. It has not been the only one, but it has been a factor.”

Jerí acknowledged that fear among migrant communities had driven a sudden increase in attempts to exit Chile, both through official crossings and clandestine routes.

“We know that there has been quite a bit of movement,” he said, confirming that the number of people trying to leave Chile and enter Peru has increased following the statements.

 

 

Peruvian authorities and local residents say the situation deteriorated rapidly, leaving migrants stranded in a legal and humanitarian limbo along the border. Jerí framed the emergency not only as a border-control issue but as a response to rising insecurity:

“We have a problem of insecurity that we must address, and one of the problems, evidently, is irregular migration.”

The humanitarian dimension has become increasingly visible. Local residents interviewed by Meganoticias expressed fear over the breakdown of order in border zones but also warned of the human cost of hardline enforcement, noting the presence of children, elderly people, and families sleeping outdoors.

“This has become a no-man’s land,” one Tacna resident said, adding that families now fear sending their children to school.

Others called for humanitarian corridors or temporary transit solutions, warning that blocking passage entirely would only worsen conditions on both sides of the border.

Those concerns were echoed by Francisco Belaúnde, an international analyst interviewed by Peru 21 on November 28, who warned that mass expulsions toward Peru are neither legally nor logistically viable.

Belaúnde stressed that Chile cannot simply offload its migration problem onto neighboring countries, particularly Peru, which is already struggling to manage its own migrant population.

“It is unacceptable for Chile to try to resolve its internal political problem by transferring it to Peru,” he said.

He also cautioned that forced returns by air are unlikely to work, particularly for Venezuelan migrants, who make up the majority of those affected.

“Expelling Venezuelans by air is extremely difficult because the Venezuelan government is unlikely to accept them,” Belaúnde noted, adding that such migrants risk becoming “bounced from one country to another.”

According to Belaúnde, the most likely outcome of aggressive expulsion rhetoric is not orderly deportation but panic-driven movement, which places migrants at greater risk of exploitation by smuggling networks and deepens humanitarian suffering.

“What ends up happening is that migrants suffer the consequences. They are pushed from one place to another.”

Peru’s Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela has insisted that Peru “will not allow irregular migration at the border with Chile,” while also confirming that humanitarian cases would be evaluated individually — a recognition that the crisis cannot be managed through enforcement alone.

Jerí, for his part, emphasized that Peru is seeking diplomatic coordination, not confrontation, noting ongoing talks between the two countries’ foreign ministries.

“Our foreign ministers are handling this. I trust that a joint solution can be reached.”

 

 

Peru and Chile have launched a Binational Committee on Migratory Cooperation, co-chaired by their foreign ministers, to coordinate border management and migration control. The committee will oversee joint patrols, police coordination, and information sharing, while a technical working group will establish verification and return protocols for undocumented migrants.

 

Latina Republic reports on migration as a defining force shaping Latin America and the Caribbean. Our coverage centers human dignity, regional responsibility, and the lived experiences of migrants, families, and communities navigating mobility, displacement, and the search for safety and opportunity.

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