On 17 December, Chileans will head to the polls to decide if they approve a new draft of the country’s constitution, to replace that which has been in force since Pinochet’s dictatorship. Amongst the proposed new constitution’s articles, written by a right-wing dominated committee, is one requiring the expulsion of irregular migrants from the country. Although polls predict that voters will reject the draft, the inclusion of this article comes amidst rising anti-immigrant sentiment in the country and as well as growing international criticism, including from key UN human rights experts.
Since 2016, Chile has seen the arrival of large numbers of Venezuelan migrants and asylum seekers. As of November this year, the country is estimated to host approximately 450,000 Venezuelans–the fourth largest population of Venezuelans after Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. With migration policies since 2019 making it increasingly difficult for Venezuelans to obtain visas or claim asylum, many have entered Chile via irregular border crossings. The combination of increased pressure on resources, lack of integration policies, and several highly-publicised police cases involving undocumented migrants has seen migrants and refugees, particularly Venezuelans, experience increasing stigmatisation in recent years. In January 2022 for example, Chilean protestors marched against immigration in the country’s north after a group of Venezuelan migrants attacked police officers at a checkpoint.