Venezuelan migrants wait at the Interpol headquarters to get paperwork needed for a temporary residency permit, in Lima, Peru, August 16, 2018. REUTERS/Mariana Bazo
August 17, 2018
LIMA (Reuters) – The government of Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra is going to start barring Venezuelan migrants from entering the country unless they have passports, two government sources said on Thursday, following a similar decision in neighboring Ecuador.
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the measure aims to curb a surge in immigration from crisis-stricken Venezuela that has driven hundreds of thousands of desperate migrants to Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Chile and Brazil.
Ecuador and Peru now allow Venezuelans to enter with only their national ID cards. That has been a significant advantage for Venezuelan migrants, who struggle to obtain passports amid chronic shortages.
One of the sources said an announcement in Peru would likely be made later on Thursday or on Friday.
(This version of the story removes incorrect reference in third paragraph to Venezuela being a member of the Andean Community.)
(Reporting by Mitra Taj; Editing by Sandra Maler)
