Understanding Immigration and Border Regulation in Chile

CIDS publishes the "Policy Brief and Regulatory Report on Immigration and Border Control in Chile," a document that organizes and outlines current regulations on the subject. The report was prepared as part of the project "Colonialism and Migration in a Global Perspective." The Chilean case study examines how border officials interpret and apply the principles of Law No. 21,325 on Migration and Alien Status across different checkpoints: Colchane, Arturo Merino Benítez Airport, and the offices of the National Migration Service. The document is organized into three sections: Regulation of immigration and border control: Reviews the principles of Law No. 21,325, migratory categories, general entry and exit rules, and the National Migration and Alien Status Policy. Key border procedures and protocols: Outlines border control and entry bans, immediate turnbacks and re-embarkation, the entry of children and adolescents, and administrative control measures. Institutions and responsibilities: Details the roles of the Ministry of the Interior, the Undersecretariat of the Interior, the National Migration Service, the Investigative Police (PDI), the Carabineros, the Maritime Authority, the Armed Forces, the National Customs Service, and the National Directorate of Borders and Limits, among others. By systematizing regulations scattered across laws, bylaws, decrees, and internal directives, this document provides a foundation for understanding how immigration control is operationalized in Chile and serves as reference material for the project's fieldwork. The full report is available for download.