Venezuelans rush to enter Peru before new rules imposed

Thousands of Venezuelans have rushed to Peru’s northern border on Friday in hopes of entering the Andean country before the introduction of tough immigration requirements at midnight.

Venezuela’s economic collapse under President Nicolas Maduro has unleashed the biggest migratory crisis in recent Latin American history, forcing countries like Peru – a developing nation of 32 million people – to grapple with an unprecedented surge in immigration.

There were many children in the crowds of tired migrants who arrived at the Peruvian border town of Tumbes from Ecuador on Friday, before the June 15 deadline for all Venezuelan migrants to have valid visas and passports to enter Peru.

On Thursday alone, 5,849 Venezuelans entered Peru at Tumbes, compared with a daily average of around 1,500-2,000 in recent months, Peru’s immigration office said on Friday.