Chile’s Congress voted Wednesday to expel undocumented Venezuelan migrants within 30 days, a measure backed by 87 of 155 legislators and signed Refugees.
Lawmakers in Santiago debated for eleven hours before the final count, with supporters citing a surge in violent crime linked by police to undocumented Venezuelan rings operating in the Santiago metro area. Opponents — including members of Boric’s own Apruebo Dignidad coalition — called the law unconstitutional and a violation of Chile’s asylum obligations. The Senate will take up a secondary immigration reform bill in September.
Caracas recalled its ambassador within hours of the vote. The UNHCR said the law “violates the principle of non-refoulement” and called for immediate suspension. Regional partners Brazil and Colombia — both governed by left-leaning administrations — issued a joint statement calling the law “a stain on Chile’s humanitarian legacy.” The measure is expected to affect an estimated 180,000 Venezuelan nationals currently in Chile without regularized status, according to government figures.
The expulsion window opens July 3. Legal challenges are expected to reach Chile’s Constitutional Court by next week. Diego Vargas, Media Hook, Santiago.