Ecuador’s government will soon reinstate entry visa requirements for Chinese nationals after authorities recorded an “alarming” increase in their illegal immigration, many of whom have since left for other countries in the region, including the United States.
The “temporary” measures, which will come into effect on July 1, will suspend the visa waiver agreement. Signed January 2015, Pro-China A trade agreement was signed between Ecuador and China under the government of former socialist President Rafael Correa. The agreement, which came into effect in August 2016, allows Chinese nationals to enter Ecuador without a visa and stay for up to 90 days.
Ecuador and Suriname are the only South American countries that currently do not impose any kind of entry visa. Requirements Bolivia’s entry restrictions on Chinese nationals are as follows: request Get visa on arrival.
Since 2022, Ecuadorian authorities have recorded an increase in the number of Chinese nationals entering the country. In 2023, the Ecuadorian government Registered Of the 66,189 Chinese nationals who entered the country, only 34,209 left in accordance with the terms of the visa waiver agreement.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Ecuador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the suspension of the visa exemption was due to an “extraordinary increase in the flow of illegal immigrants” from China who arrive in Ecuador and do not leave the country within the 90-day visa exemption period or who use Ecuador as a “springboard to reach other destinations in the Western Hemisphere.”
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— Ecuador Cancilleria (@CancilleriaEc) June 18, 2024
“In recent months, there has been an alarming increase in the influx of migrants from China, and furthermore, approximately 50 percent of those arriving are not following regular routes and have not left the country within the time frame required by law,” the statement said. “As a result, they may be in the country as illegal immigrants or have left the country illegally for other destinations in the Western Hemisphere.”
The Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs concluded its statement by reiterating its commitment that “visitors to the country will be guaranteed adequate security, preventing them from becoming victims of human trafficking and migrant smuggling, as well as ensuring adequate national migration management and preventive measures for the normal operation of air transport companies.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said of the changes at a regular press briefing on Tuesday: Assert Since coming into force in August 2016, the agreement has “played an important and positive role in promoting cross-border exchanges and practical cooperation in various fields between the two countries,” the statement said.
Lin continued.
The Chinese government is firmly opposed to all forms of human trafficking. In recent years, China’s law enforcement authorities have made great efforts to crack down on crimes that disrupt border control, and have adopted a tough stance against all kinds of human trafficking groups and individual illegal immigrants, with good results. At the same time, China’s law enforcement authorities cooperate with relevant countries to jointly combat human trafficking activities, repatriate illegal immigrants, and maintain order in cross-border movement.
China spokesperson Repeated The next day, he spoke about the “importance” of a visa waiver agreement with Ecuador.
Reports Published In May, it was reported that Chinese nationals seeking asylum in the United States were taking advantage of Ecuador’s visa waiver agreement to arrive in South America on flights from Turkey and Ethiopia.
Many Chinese nationals have arranged their travel to Ecuador and ultimately the United States by following instructions from videos published on the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok, where offers for “safe travel” packages can also be found.
Chinese nationals heading to the United States ultimately pass through the dangerous jungle roads of the Darien Canyon, located between Colombia and Panama. Once at the southern border of the United States, the Chinese nationals reportedly ask for asylum from U.S. authorities, citing persecution at the hands of the Chinese Communist regime led by dictator Xi Jinping.
Haitian migrants cross the river through the Darien Canyon from Colombia to Panama in hopes of reaching the United States, Oct. 15, 2022. (Fernando Vergara, File/Associated Press)
“Upon arriving in the United States, many Chinese migrants seeking asylum integrate into existing Chinese communities where they find support and resources,” Argentine news outlet Infobae reported in May. “Despite mixed opinions within the existing communities, approval rates for asylum requests for Chinese people are fairly high.”
According to the report, Chinese nationals who arrive in Ecuador using visa waivers but do not attempt to cross through the Darien Valley into the United States either choose to stay beyond the 90-day visa waiver period and set up businesses in Ecuador or hire human traffickers to smuggle them into U.S. territory.
Christian K. Caruso is a Venezuelan author documenting life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter. here.
