Peru - April 2023

President Dina Boluarte announced a series of measures to control migration to the country, including the implementation of a state of emergency in the border regions of Tumbes, Piura, Cajamarca, Amazonas, Loreto, Madre de Dios, and Tacna. Other measures will include reforms to migration regulations in order to provide a pathway to regularize undocumented migrants, and legal reform to allow armed forces to permanently support tasks related to migration control. President Boluarte stated that an increase in crime is correlated to increased migration, and she asserted that mainly Venezuelan and some Haitian nationals are those who are “unfortunately committing these acts” of burglary and other crimes. News organizations have pointed to the lack of evidence to support these allegations, and along with organizations such as Amnesty International, have criticized the use of stigmatizing language that portrays irregular migrants as criminals.

Sources: Agencia EFE (1), Gobierno del Perú, Amnesty International, Agencia EFE (2)