Home World Argentina orders immigration crackdown with decree to 'make Argentina great again'

Argentina orders immigration crackdown with decree to ‘make Argentina great again’

Argentina's President Javier Milei greets supporters during the closing campaign rally for Manuel Adorni, a contender in the upcoming elections for the Buenos Aires city legislature, in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Wednesday.

Argentina’s President Javier Milei greets supporters during the closing campaign rally for Manuel Adorni, a contender in the upcoming elections for the Buenos Aires city legislature, in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Wednesday. Rodrigo Abd/AP hide caption

toggle caption

Rodrigo Abd/AP

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentina’s right-wing President Javier Milei issued a decree on Wednesday curbing immigration to the South American nation, a move coinciding with the immigration restrictions put in place by the Trump administration.

In a country that has long prided itself on its openness to immigrants, Milei’s abrupt measures and declaration that newcomers were bringing “chaos and abuse” to Argentina drew criticism from his political opponents and prompted comparisons to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Milei’s government welcomed those parallels to its close American ally, with presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni saying it was “time to honor our history and make Argentina great again.”

Wednesday’s executive order tightens restrictions on citizenship, requiring immigrants to spend two uninterrupted years in Argentina or make a significant financial investment in the country to secure an Argentine passport.

Sponsor Message

Immigrants seeking permanent residency must show proof of income or “sufficient means” and have clean criminal records in their home countries.

The decree makes it much easier for the government to deport migrants who enter the country illegally, falsify their immigration documents or commit minor crimes in Argentina. Previously, authorities could only expel or deny entry to a foreigner with a conviction of more than three years.

It also asks the judiciary to fast-track otherwise lengthy immigration court proceedings.

“For some time now, we’ve had regulations that invite chaos and abuse by many opportunists who are far from coming to this country in an honest way,” Adorni told reporters. The presidential spokesperson is also the main candidate for Milei’s La Libertad Avanza party running in the key Buenos Aires legislative elections Sunday.

In a big shift, the new decree also charges foreigners to access Argentina’s public health care and education while mandating that all travelers to the country hold health insurance. Adorni claimed that public hospitals had spent some $100 million on treating foreigners last year, without offering evidence.

“This measure aims to guarantee the sustainability of the public health system, so that it ceases to be a profit center financed by our citizens,” he said.

Sponsor Message

Foreign residents from all over the world have been guaranteed free access to Argentina’s extensive education and health systems since a 2003 law under then-President Néstor Kirchner, a left-leaning populist. Public universities and hospitals are now struggling to cope with sharp government spending cuts under Milei’s austerity program.

Right-wing politicians for years have railed against what Adorni described on Wednesday as “health tours,” in which people hop over the border, get treatment and go back home. Already, several northern provinces and the city of Buenos Aires have started charging non-resident foreigners fees to access health care.

Adorni said the decree allows universities to introduce fees for foreign studies if they so choose.

Critics worried that the new rules would challenge Argentina’s tradition of openness written over waves of migration through the decades. Although bursts of xenophobia have prompted crackdowns at various moments of turmoil, Argentina has welcomed surges of foreigners from all over Latin America, the Arab world, Asia and, more recently, Russia, offering a path to citizenship and ensuring their right to basic services.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Must Read

Trump says it may be better to let Ukraine and Russia ‘fight for a while’

President Donald Trump, right, meets Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office of the White House on Thursday. Evan Vucci/AP hide caption toggle caption Evan Vucci/AP WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia "fight for a while" before pulling them apart and pursuing peace

Smoke knows no boundaries: What Canada’s fires mean for the U.S. in the future

A sign warns of an air quality alert as smoke from wildfires burning in Canada reaches Minneapolis on Tuesday. Mark Vancleave/AP hide caption toggle caption Mark Vancleave/AP Paige Fischer was driving to the picturesque Traverse City region along Lake Michigan for a family vacation. But even as she was leaving her home in Ann Arbor

British doctor says many he treated in Gaza were civilians shot trying to reach aid

Palestinians carry bags filled with food and humanitarian aid provided by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.-backed organization approved by Israel, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, June 3. Abdel Kareem Hana/AP hide caption toggle caption Abdel Kareem Hana/AP British orthopedic surgeon Dr. Graeme Groom has spent the past three weeks in Gaza

From 1,300 to 81 workers: Trump official plans to cut Voice of America to the bone

Trump senior adviser Kari Lake is overseeing the downsizing of Voice of America and other government-funded international news outlets. Here, she speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC, on Feb. 21, 2025. Jose Luis Magana/AP hide caption toggle caption Jose Luis Magana/AP At times, President Trump's senior adviser Kari Lake has said she wants

World Reaction to the Latest U.S. Travel Ban

Enlarge this image President Trump announced a new travel ban on 12 countries. Evan Vucci/AP hide caption toggle caption Evan Vucci/AP President Trump announced a new travel ban on 12 countries. Evan Vucci/AP President Donald Trump has issued a new travel ban, barring travelers from 12 countries and partially restricting travelers from seven others from