Argentina orders immigration crackdown with new decree to 'make
Argentina great again'
[May 15, 2025]
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina's right-wing President Javier
Milei issued a decree on Wednesday curbing immigration to the South
American nation, a move coinciding with the immigration restrictions put
in place by the Trump administration.
Milei's abrupt measures and declaration that newcomers were bringing
“chaos and abuse” to Argentina — a country built by millions of
immigrants that has long prided itself on its openness — drew criticism
from his political opponents and prompted comparisons to U.S. President
Donald Trump.
Milei's government welcomed those comparisons to its close American
ally, with presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni saying it was “time
to honor our history and make Argentina great again."
Wednesday's executive order tightens restrictions on citizenship,
requiring immigrants to spend two uninterrupted years in Argentina or
make a significant financial investment in the country to secure an
Argentine passport.
Immigrants seeking permanent residency must show proof of income or
“sufficient means” and have clean criminal records in their home
countries.
The decree makes it much easier for the government to deport migrants
who enter the country illegally, falsify their immigration documents or
commit minor crimes in Argentina. Previously, authorities could only
expel or deny entry to a foreigner with a conviction of more than three
years.
It also asks the judiciary to fast-track otherwise lengthy immigration
court proceedings.
“For some time now, we’ve had regulations that invite chaos and abuse by
many opportunists who are far from coming to this country in an honest
way,” Adorni told reporters.
The presidential spokesperson is also the top candidate for Milei’s La
Libertad Avanza party in the key Buenos Aires legislative elections on
Sunday. Their hard-right bloc is trying to win over conservative voters
from Argentina's center-right in the high-stakes midterm-election year.
That timing fueled criticism, especially as the country has seen no
recent surge of migration.
Argentina's most recent national census, from 2022, showed that the
nation of 46 million had just 1.93 million foreign residents — the
lowest share of immigrants since record-keeping began in 1869.
[to top of second column]
|
Argentina's President Javier Milei greets supporters during the
closing campaign rally for Manuel Adorni, a contender in the
upcoming elections for the Buenos Aires city legislature, in Buenos
Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
“Once again, politicizing migration for electoral purposes and
distorting reality,” Pablo Ceriani Cernadas, vice president of a
U.N. committee that protects the rights of migrants, wrote on social
media.
In a big shift, the new decree also charges foreigners to access
Argentina's public health care and education while mandating that
all travelers to the country hold health insurance. Adorni claimed
that public hospitals had spent some $100 million on treating
foreigners last year, without offering evidence.
“This measure aims to guarantee the sustainability of the public
health system, so that it ceases to be a profit center financed by
our citizens,” he said.
Despite bouts of xenophobia in moments of political turmoil,
immigration is rarely a matter of debate in Argentina, a nation
largely developed by waves of European immigrants in the 19th
century. In more recent years the country has welcomed foreigners
across the region, the Arab world, Asia and, lately, Russia,
offering newcomers a path to citizenship and ensuring their free
access the nation's extensive and decent public education and health
systems.
Public universities and hospitals are now buckling under Milei's
sharp spending cuts as he seeks to reverse years of massive budget
deficits. Adorni said the decree allows universities to introduce
fees for foreign students.
Right-wing politicians long have railed against what Adorni
described Wednesday as “health tours,” in which patients hop over
the border and get treatment before returning home.
Already, several northern provinces and the city of Buenos Aires
have started charging non-resident foreigners to access health care.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
