Jorge Heine, research professor at the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University and a former cabinet minister in the Chilean government: “More than the massive rise in undocumented immigration in northern Chile that some anticipated would take place this summer, what has happened is the continuation of the steady trickle of Venezuelans, Colombians, Peruvians, Haitians and Bolivians slipping into Chile across its northern border, many doing so from Bolivia, at the rate of about 400 a day. They come to Chile driven by economic opportunity to a country with a large services sector and one of the highest per capita incomes in the region. Once inside Chile, they camp out in town squares and beaches, with the consequent disruption of daily life for regular residents and the ensuing political fallout. According to a CEP poll, immigration is among the top six most significant problems demanding government attention. In response to this, the government deployed the army to increase control at border crossings, along with the national police. Though critics, including some parliamentarians in the government benches, refer to it as a…”