MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Foreign residents in Chile increased 75%.

The number of foreign residents in Chile jumped 75% in a decade, mostly Argentines and Peruvians, making it the highest ever in two inter-census periods.

In 1992 the number of foreigners resident in Chile was 105,070 and in 2002 increased to 184,464, according to that year's census. The figure includes an estimated 20,000 illegal or undocumented residents.

"This does not mean that the increase could lead to believe that Chile is a country with special conditions for immigrants. Actually foreign residents represent 1,5% of the total Chilean population which does not compare with the plus 5% of Argentina", argues Reginaldo Flores head of Statistics in the Foreign Population department.

Most immigrants to Chile come from South America and this can be seen in certain areas of Santiago such as "Little Lima" or in industries such as restaurants, coffee shops or night entertainment.

Peruvians and Argentines represent 50% of new immigrants and Bolivians and Ecuadorians 11%. Peruvian women have virtually taken over the "nannies" and home service business in Santiago while doctors from Ecuador and Cuba are rapidly moving into the Chilean provincial health system. Uruguayans and Argentines have established a name in fashion, chic restaurants and night life where Argentine women outstand, according to a Santiago newspaper report on the phenomenon.

Peruvians and Ecuadorians apparently began pouring into Chile from the mid nineties while Argentine and Bolivian immigration is more steady and long term.

But there are also immigrants who have become residents from exotic places such as Cayman Islands, Slovenia, Benin, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Sri Lanka, Burma, Laos, Micronesia and Cocos Islands.

However the number of Chileans living abroad is far higher, between 800,000 and a million, according to Mr. Flores.

The estimated 20,000 illegal residents are mostly Peruvian and Bolivian who work two/three months in menial jobs and then return a couple of weeks later, "but so far we can't say they are a problems", admits Mr. Flores.