Thousands of Venezuelans have on Friday crossed its border with Peru’s northern border hoping of entering the Andean nation before the implementation of the toughest immigration rules at midnight.
According to Al-Jazeera news reports, the biggest migratory crisis has been unleashed by the country’s economic collapse under embattled President Nicolas Maduro in recent times, forcing nations like Peru to wrestle with a bizarre surge in immigration.
There were numbers of children among the crowds of migrants who tried to arrive at one of the Peruvian border town, Tumbes, on Friday from Ecuador, in an effort to prevent themselves from the June 15 deadline for all Venezuelan migrants to receive legal passports and visas to enter Peru.
On Thursday, about 5,849 Venezuelan migrants entered Peru’s northern border at Tumbes town, as compared with an average of per day of approx 1,500-2,000 in recent months, according to Peru’s immigration office.
Previously, only a national ID Card was required for Venezuelan citizens to enter Peru.
Last week, the United Nations (UN) has said around four million Venezuelan migrants – much more than a tenth of the Venezuelan population – have fled the humanitarian and economic crisis in their homeland.
Two years ago, Peru’s government had introduced migratory laws to accommodate Venezuela’s migrants. It disbursed hundreds of thousands of the special residency cards so to assist them to work legally, access public healthcare and go to school.
But the surge of immigration escalated in the midst of growing fears fanned by politicians and media reports that the migrants are decreasing wages and increasing crimes in Venezuela.
Moreover, the government said it would need migrants to secure their visa from its consulate in Caracas ahead of marching to the border.
As migrants trekked, took buses and hitchhiked their ways to Peru’s northern border on Thursday, Peru’s President Martin Vizcarra said, “Our country has opened its arms to more than 800,000 Venezuelans. I think it’s completely logical and justified to ask them to bring visas to ensure better control of who enters.”