Border closure - Surveillance reinforced in Peru as migrants fleeing Chile amid presidential candidate Kast's deportation threats

Border closure - Surveillance reinforced in Peru as migrants fleeing Chile amid presidential candidate Kast's deportation threats

"As the state of emergency is about to enter into force in southern Peru's Tacna region, police presence at border was increased to monitor the recent rise in flow of Chile migrants. The measure allowing the Peruvian Armed Forces to take part in surveillance and border control tasks was adopted after a meeting of the Council of Ministers. Footage filmed in Arica on Friday, shows migrants gathering near the border crossing as members of the National Police of Peru (PNP) were seen reinforcing surveillance in the area, with military personnel present on site. The state of emergency, which initially focuses on Tacna, authorises the authorities to intensify identity checks and deploy military and police resources to prevent irregular migration. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Government of Peru also reported the situation to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The recent mass departure of migrants from Chile, mainly Venezuelans, Haitians and Ecuadorians heading towards Peru, is due to fears over the anti-immigration policies of Chilean presidential candidate Jose Antonio Kast, who is leading the polls for the 14 December 2025 runoff and has promised to expel 330,000 undocumented migrants if he wins the elections."