Chile’s foreign ministry announced Friday that it is working alongside prosecutors investigating how Haitian children and teenagers entered the country through a family reunification program — after officials discovered that a number of those minors could not be found at the addresses listed for them.
The situation has attracted significant attention in Chile due to a dramatic increase in arrivals from Haiti in the early months of 2025, many of which took place on charter flights. The case has raised broader concerns about how immigration controls were applied within a program designed to bring families back together.
Earlier this week, Chile’s prosecutor’s office confirmed it had launched a formal investigation into the large-scale entry of Haitian minors that occurred last year.
The foreign ministry stated it has been turning over all documents requested by investigators. Foreign Minister Francisco Perez also dispatched a team to Haiti to examine how Chile’s consulate there was handling the reunification process.
According to local media reports, approximately 2,800 Haitians entered Chile under family reunification between January 1 and April 30 of last year. That figure represents the majority of the more than 3,200 Haitian arrivals who came in on temporary residence permits during that same window. Reports indicate that roughly half of those who entered under the family reunification category arrived on charter flights, most of which were linked to small Caribbean airlines.
Haitian migrants have been settling in Chile in growing numbers over the past decade, making Haitians one of the largest immigrant communities in the South American nation. In recent years, Chile has tightened its entry requirements, and President Jose Antonio Kast — who assumed office in March — has pledged to take a firm stance against unauthorized migration.
