According to The Washington Post, political instability in Peru is pushing migrants from the nation to migrate to the United States’ southern border, further complicating an already tumultuous situation there as Title 42 moves towards being lifted.
According to statistics acquired by The Washington Post, 8,262 Peruvians — who are seldom seen attempting to enter the United States illegally — were caught at the southern border crossing in the first six months of this year. This is more than twice the number of Peruvians who appeared at the border in 2021, as 3,197 immigrants from Peru were apprehended by federal officials.
Peruvians have always arrived at the border in lower numbers than other nationalities. The majority of illegal immigrants that enter the nation come from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras.
Peru is coping with political instability, rampant corruption, the highest inflation rate since 1998, and demonstrations that, according to Peruvian activist Andres Urbano, may be encouraging illegal immigration to the United States from the country.
“No one knows if Peru is the next Venezuela or Cuba,” Urbano told The Post Tuesday. “There’s a high level of distrust with the government, and parents and young people alike see an uncertainty about what their future holds in Peru.”
Peru’s president had been on the verge of impeachment over the weekend after he came close to missing a deadline set by the country’s Congress to return home from Ecuador, according to MSN. In the nine months that President Pedro Castillo has been in office, Congress has already voted to eliminate him from office twice.
“You can be assaulted and robbed on the street, including lose your life over a cell phone someone wants to steal from you. Crime is on the rise and police don’t have control over it,” Urbano explained. “Sicarios and organized crime are more and more common. Criminals can buy their freedom even if they’re arrested.
“Peru is descending into anarchy. On the face of it, the country has a constitutional government, but really it’s anarchy. No one knows how it’s going to end.”
On top of that, the nation has witnessed violent demonstrations over mining, which accounts for a significant portion of Peru’s economy, between indigenous employees and mine staff, according to Bloomberg, adding additional fire to an already intense situation.
Peruvians are coming at a time when the number of people crossing the United States’ southern border is at an all-time high. When Title 42 is withdrawn, the government predicts that as many as 18,000 illegal immigrants might arrive at the border each day, according to the government.
“Peruvians are afraid the doors will close, and they won’t be able to leave the country if things get really bad,” Urbano said. “They’ve made up their minds this is their best shot and fear of crossing the desert or other dangers of crossing illegally isn’t going to stop them.”
