Chile expelled 40 migrants in the first flight under Kast. The government of President Jose Antonio Kast carried out its first deportation flight this Thursday, April 16. The operation transferred 40 people to their countries of origin as part of a migration control plan targeting undocumented individuals and those with aggravated felonies on their records.
Of those expelled, 19 are Colombian. Upon arrival at El Dorado Airport in Bogota, local authorities detained one of them for having active arrest warrants for robbery and theft. The Chilean government presented the case as proof that its expulsion screening process works.
Campaign promises and border wall
These expulsions and the physical barrier project are the first steps toward fulfilling Kast’s campaign promise to replicate the migration policy of Donald Trump’s administration. Like the American president with the wall on the border with Mexico, Kast maintains that a physical structure, accompanied by mass expulsions, allows for the control of territorial sovereignty and the containment of irregular immigration.
The Ministry of Public Works is keeping the wall project in the bidding phase. Technicians will integrate thermal sensors and drones into the structure to monitor the Arica and Parinacota region. Human rights organizations observe the progress of this measure due to its humanitarian impact in the border area.
Operation details and figures
The National Migration Service reported that the group of 40 foreigners included 25 people expelled through administrative measures and 15 by judicial order. The flight transported 19 Colombians, 17 Bolivians, and 4 Ecuadorians. The Chilean State financed the transfer in an Air Force flight bound for Bogota with stopovers in Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia) and Quito (Ecuador) to deliver the passengers to the local migration authorities.
Of the 40 expelled individuals, 30 have records associated with serious offenses, including drug trafficking, robbery with violence, assault, threats, illegal possession of weapons, and aggravated robbery. Illegal entry through unauthorized border crossings is a technical ground for administrative expulsions. Drivers who circulate outside these legal specifications face immediate monetary fines and administrative penalties.
There are two types of sanctions in this process. The Migration Service imposes administrative measures for infractions of the immigration law, such as entering the country through unauthorized crossings. On the other hand, a court orders the judicial measure as a sentence in lieu of prison for crimes committed in Chile.
Results of the first month of management
This flight is part of the balance of the first month of the Migration Control Plan. According to official data, during this period, authorities completed 151 total expulsions, including other operations. The National Migration Service scheduled this flight as the first in a series of charter trips for the coming months.
Internal sectors in Chile support these measures as a response to security problems, while the Colombian government received its nationals through an operation by Migration Colombia and the Ombudsman’s Office to verify their identity and health status. The Migration Service indicated that Chilean law mandates the expulsion of those who violate national regulations.
Campaign promises and border wall
These deportations and the physical barrier project fulfill Kast’s campaign pledge to replicate Donald Trump’s migration policy. Like the American president with his border wall with Mexico, Kast argues that a physical structure combined with mass deportations can control territorial sovereignty and curb irregular immigration.
The Ministry of Public Works is keeping the wall project in the bidding phase. Technicians will integrate thermal sensors and drones into the structure to monitor the Arica and Parinacota region. Human rights organizations observe the progress of this measure due to its humanitarian impact in the border area.
Operation details and figures
The National Migration Service reported that of the 40 deportees, 25 were removed under administrative measures for migration violations, and 15 by judicial order for criminal offenses. The flight transported 19 Colombians, 17 Bolivians, and 4 Ecuadorians aboard an Air Force aircraft, with stopovers in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, and Quito, Ecuador, before reaching Bogotá, where passengers were handed over to the corresponding migration authorities.
Of the 40 deportees, 30 have records associated with serious offenses, including drug trafficking, robbery with violence, assault, threats, illegal possession of weapons, and aggravated robbery. Illegal entry through unauthorized crossings constitutes the technical cause for the applied sanctions. Drivers who circulate outside these legal specifications face immediate monetary fines and administrative penalties.
There are two types of sanctions in this process. The Migration Service imposes administrative measures for infractions of the immigration law, such as entering the country through unauthorized crossings. On the other hand, a court orders the judicial measure as a sentence in lieu of prison for crimes committed in Chile.
Results of the first month of management
This flight is part of the balance of the first month of the Migration Control Plan. According to official data, during this period, authorities completed 151 total deportations, including other operations. The National Migration Service scheduled this flight as the first in a series of charter trips for the coming months.
Internal sectors in Chile support these measures as a response to security problems, while the Colombian government received its nationals through an operation by Migration Colombia and the Ombudsman’s Office to verify their identity and health status. The Migration Service indicated that Chilean law mandates the deportation of those who violate national regulations.