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Chile: Situation Report – June 2021

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Situation

  • Under a new deportation process, on 6 June, the Government of Chile expelled 53 Venezuelans, on a flight to Caracas. Nineteen of them were deported for criminal reasons and thirty-four because they entered the country irregularly. Several civil society organizations denounced the deportations as not complying with due process, pointing out that not all deported persons had a criminal accusation against them. Furthermore, the deportation took place on a Sunday when Courts were closed to appeal the processes. The UN Agencies in Chile expressed their concern regarding the deportations. They argued that the deportation processes should have been handled differently since there are special management procedures for administrative (irregular enters) and judicial (criminal accusation) cases. In addition, they argued that deportation processes can lead to an increase in xenophobia within host communities.

  • The Government of Canada hosted the International Donors’ Conference in solidarity with Venezuelan refugees and migrants in collaboration with the Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela (R4V) on 17 June. At the end of the event, USD 1.5 billion pledges were announced, which included USD 954 million in grants. In addition, the European Union reported, on 25 June, the donation of 177 million of Chilean pesos to R4V partners in order to provide humanitarian aid, this will benefit 34,000 vulnerable people, including families with children, unaccompanied and separated minors and women who travel alone.

  • A group of 39 people, including two children, showing symptoms of hypothermia were rescued on 24 June after being trapped for hours in the middle of a snow blizzard in the city of Antofagasta (northern Chile). They were trying to enter the country irregularly. Despite the harsh winter weather conditions, in 2021 over a thousand foreigners, mainly Venezuelans, have crossed the border with Bolivia according to national and international media. At least seven people have lost their lives trying to enter Chile so far this year.

  • COVID-19 cases in Chile have decreased by 30 per cent for the last week of June. The vaccination campaign has fully immunized almost 68 percent of the population and 82 percent have received the first dose. However, after the publication of the results of a new study about the effectiveness of the vaccination process in the country, developed by several Chilean universities, the presidency and health authorities have been analyzing the possibility of a booster shot, especially to those who have received the Sinovac vaccine.