Chile police crack down on migrants at illegal camp

Chilean police evicted hundreds of irregular migrants camping in a central public square of Iquique, 1,800 kilometres north of Santiago, on Friday.

As police arrived at Iquique's "Plaza Brasil", many were heard singing the Venezuelan national anthem; some began to confront the officers when the police insisted they leave the place.

Local police reported the arrest of five migrants.

The public square - declared at sanitary risk by local authorities - has been occupied for months by several migrant families, predominantly Venezuelan, many with children and babies.

Many are waiting to be able to move to the capital in search of work and housing.

According to figures from the Jesuit Migrant Service, more than 23,000 migrants have reached Chile through unauthorized crossings between January and July 2021, compared to the 16,848 who arrived during the whole of 2020.

Some 7,000 foreigners have arrived through the north, as reported by the government.