• Peru announces a state of emergency at its border with Chile amidst rising migrant crossings.
• The move is in response to far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast’s anti-immigration campaign.
• Peruvian President José Jerí confirmed the deployment of military forces to reinforce border security.
• Venezuelan migrants are fleeing Chile due to fears of impending deportations if Kast wins the election.
• The state of emergency will last for 60 days, surpassing the crucial presidential runoff on December 14.

Peru's President José Jerí announced the declaration of a state of emergency along the border with Chile to manage the anticipated surge of migrants fleeing potential crackdowns on undocumented immigration in Chile. The measure aims to enhance security in the southern region of Tacna, allowing for increased military presence for 60 days following the December 14 run-off election in Chile, where far-right candidate José Antonio Kast is seeking to expel undocumented individuals from the country, according to Reuters, Al Jazeera, and Los Angeles Times.

The emergency measures aim to prevent a humanitarian crisis while addressing rising crime linked to migration. Numerous migrants, mostly from Venezuela, are crossing into Peru, exacerbating tensions at the border as they fear being forced from Chile if Kast assumes the presidency. "For fear that they remove us by force," a Venezuelan migrant stated while attempting to exit Chile, highlighting the gravity of the situation, according to Le Monde and South China Morning Post.

Under this state of emergency, the Peruvian government has reinforced its military and police presence to handle increasing crossings at the border. "We will not allow irregular migration. We do not have the conditions or capacity to receive more migrants," asserted Peru's Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela, amidst reports of many people stranded at the border waiting to enter Peru, according to Al Jazeera and Los Angeles Times.