President José Antonio Kast announced new measures to combat crime and irregular migration during his first address to the Chilean Congress in Santiago on Monday.
The move comes as the 60-year-old president [1] faces slipping approval ratings early in his term. The hard-right response aims to address public concerns regarding national security and border integrity.
Kast outlined a strategy that includes the creation of a new "vandal" registry to track individuals involved in public disorder. The plan also proposes extending the detention periods for migrants to allow for more rigorous processing, and oversight.
To secure the country's perimeter, the administration will oversee the construction of trenches along the northern desert frontier [2]. These physical barriers are intended to deter irregular crossings in the remote regions of the border.
These announcements occur less than three months [1] after Kast took office in March 2022 [1]. The president used the congressional session to signal a shift toward more aggressive enforcement of law and order.
Critics of the administration have raised concerns regarding the legality of extended detentions and the environmental impact of border trenches. However, the president said the measures are necessary to restore stability to the region [2].
“The plan also proposes extending the detention periods for migrants.”
The implementation of a vandal registry and physical border barriers marks a significant pivot toward restrictive security policies in Chile. By prioritizing deterrence and surveillance, the Kast administration is attempting to stabilize its political standing through a hard-line approach to migration and civil unrest.
