Andina

Peru: Gov't approves measures on migration and border control

}Photo: ANDINA/Presidency of the Republic of Peru

}Photo: ANDINA/Presidency of the Republic of Peru

18:01 | Lima, Apr. 26.

After the meeting held on Wednesday by the Council of Ministers, the President of the Republic Dina Boluarte informed of four agreements concerning citizen and border security, as well as migration issues.

Details of these agreements are outlined below:

The ministerial Cabinet has approved an emergency decree to declare a state of emergency in the border areas of Tumbes, Piura, Cajamarca, Amazonas, Loreto, Madre de Dios, and Tacna regions.

In those areas, the (Peruvian) National Police will maintain control of domestic order supported by the Armed Forces.

The Head of State affirmed that this decree will allow border control operations to be carried out by the National Police, with the aim of preserving domestic order and ensuring the constitutional rights of inhabitants in these areas.

The second measure adopted is a supreme decree that amends the regulations of the Migration Law to regularize the situation of foreigners who entered the country without undergoing the corresponding migration control, and of those who, after having entered regularly to Peru, are in an irregular situation.

To that end, foreigners will be given a deadline to register with the migration authority and regularize their situation in the country. 

Thus, they can be identified, thereby encouraging formality in immigration control and in the labor market, thus avoiding involvement in activities of human trafficking and in cases of labor exploitation.

Amnesty and constitutional reform

Likewise, the Cabinet issued an enrolled bill to regularize and update —without payment of fines— the immigration status of people who entered the country regularly, but who are currently in an irregular situation.

An amnesty will be granted for them to take advantage of this mechanism. It will last for six months, without extension. The benefit will apply only to those who are in a situation referred to in the preceding paragraph.

The fourth agreement adopted consists of the presentation —before Congress— of a constitutional reform bill, which seeks to guarantee the intervention of the Armed Forces in border areas.

This involves amending Article 165 of the Constitution, by establishing that the support to be provided by military institutions in these areas will be permanent.

(END) FGM/JCR/RMB

Published: 4/26/2023