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2023.04.30 03:57 GMT+8

Undocumented migrants stranded at Chile-Peru border

Updated 2023.04.30 03:57 GMT+8
CGTN

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Hundreds of undocumented migrants are stranded at Chile's border with Peru.  Peru has deployed troops to help police tighten security at the Arica crossing, where many of the migrants have been waiting for weeks.

The migrants, most of Venezuelan, Haitian and Colombian origin, say they are seeking to enter Peru so they can return home. Tensions have been high between Chile and Peru since Peru closed its borders.

Chile's acting interior minister said Chile will start registering all undocumented migrants who want to leave Chile, with Peru beginning to let some enter through its border offices.  

Migrants have reportedly been clashing with civilians, with some throwing stones, as their situation becomes more desperate. Peru's Interior Minister Vicente Romero said the case of stranded migrants is a humanitarian issue, and that Peru's government is working with Chile, Ecuador and Venezuela to find a way for migrants to cross borders and return to their homes without problems.

Rising costs of living and difficulty surviving in other countries without documentation are some of the reasons the migrants say they are trying to return to their home countries.

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