MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Joint Peru-Chile committee to be established to address northbound migration

Monday's meeting between officials from both countries will result in a committee to address this issue henceforth

Chilean and Peruvian authorities have agreed to set up a joint committee to address the overflowing northbound migration. High-level officials from both countries are to meet on Monday to lay out the body managing border security henceforth, it was announced Sunday after a gathering between Undersecretary of the Interior Víctor Ramos and Regional Governor Diego Paco.

Ramos pushed back against descriptions of the current situation as a “crisis,” asserting that the problems are consistent with issues routinely handled at the border.

“I think it is unnecessary to talk about a crisis,” Ramos stated. “We are here because we want to anticipate any scenario that may arise from the border deployment being carried out by our sister country [Peru], and we feel that we are prepared for that.”

Arica Mayor Orlando Vargas echoed this sentiment, characterizing the flow of people as “normal” for this time of year, attributing the current movement to migrants traveling to see family for the year-end holidays.

The binational committee meeting will address the characterization and profiling of the population in the border area, the coordination and exchange of redirection and repatriation experiences, and the exchange of information between police forces.

Ramos explained that the meeting's purpose is to review coordination and repatriation protocols to ensure an orderly and safe passage for individuals with irregular immigration status. There is “no single formula” for handling all cases, he argued.

However, “people have to comply with the law, and that is why there are institutions they can turn to,” Ramos stressed. He also noted that specific immigration statuses must be examined individually to provide proper guidance.“We have to keep them informed about where they can turn.”

“It is in my best interest to be aware of everything that is happening at the border and the security of the region,” Paco said.