The national director of the National Migration Service, Frank Sauerbaum, called on the opposition to support the bill extending the detention period for migrants to carry out administrative deportations. He also asked it to support increased funding for deportations in the 2027 Budget Law.
"We ask the opposition to put their votes where their words are", the official said, according to CNN Chile. He added that those groups have demanded greater efficiency in deportations.
The appeal follows the legislative setback on September 22. That day, the Chamber of Deputies rejected the constitutional reform that sought to extend the period. According to BioBioChile, the proposal received 88 votes in favor, one fewer than required.
After the defeat, President José Antonio Kast's government decided to pursue the proposal in the Senate. According to CNN Chile, because it is a government bill, it can be debated again if it has the support of two-thirds of the Senate. A rejected parliamentary motion, by contrast, must wait a year before it can be considered again.
The law currently allows a person notified of deportation to be detained for only five days. For Sauerbaum, that period is insufficient. "Having only five days to deport irregular migrants who have been notified of deportation is not easy", he said.
The director detailed the steps in each case. The Investigative Police (PDI) must locate and notify the person, detain them and verify their documentation. If they do not have it, it must be obtained through their country's consulate. Then authorities wait to ensure that no legal challenge blocks the measure and, finally, purchase the tickets.
Sauerbaum linked the problem to the inherited backlog. He said the previous government left 46,000 deportation orders pending. "We need time to carry out what President Kast asked of us", he said.
The second issue is money. Sauerbaum said the proposed budget increases funding for deportations by more than 190%. According to the National Migration Service, the allocation rises from $4,000 million to $11,604 million.
The sources do not report opposition lawmakers' response to this appeal. The discussion now moves to the Senate, where the government needs two-thirds support to revive the reform, while Congress processes the 2027 budget in parallel.
