Migrants in Chile: Between Fear and Friendship
The decision is in our hands: fear or friendship, prejudice or encounter, hostility or shared hope. History teaches that societies able to integrate their diversity become more humane, more creative, and more resilient.
By Camilo Herrera (El Mostrador)
HAVANA TIMES – I write these lines as thousands of migrant children practice the cueca to perform at the September 18th celebration. In front of them, in the same schoolyard, will be Chilean and foreign parents alike, moved as they watch their children stomp and spin with handkerchiefs in hand.
Not long ago, we were still surprised when a new coworker came from another country, when the doctor treating us spoke with a different accent, or when a son introduced us to a foreign girlfriend. Today that no longer surprises anyone: migration has become part of our daily lives. Nearly one in ten people in Chile was born abroad. In other words, Chileans and migrants live side by side every day—at the neighborhood market, at school, at work, and in the office.
But there lies the paradox: while we share our lives with migrants, most Chileans perceive them as a problem. A recent study by the 3xi Corporation, together with Criteria, shows that 68% believe immigration is more of a burden than a benefit; many associate it with unemployment, lower wages, or reduced access to subsidies. Above all, however, with insecurity: 77% think migration increases organized crime, and 75% believe it fuels drug trafficking.
Migration is not a new phenomenon: humanity has always crossed borders, driven by wars, authoritarian regimes, poverty, or droughts. And science warns us that in the coming years, marked by climate change, displacements will grow even larger.
In Chile, we are experiencing unprecedented levels of violence, with crimes we had never seen before, many linked to international criminal networks. Some of these crimes have left a deep mark on our national consciousness, fueling fear. This cannot be denied. But it is a serious and dangerous mistake to reduce millions of people seeking opportunities to a mere “threat” when, in their overwhelming majority, they work, integrate, and contribute.
In fact, the data speaks clearly: in some productive sectors, migrants make up a quarter of the workforce. They represent almost 10% of AFP contributors and have even higher labor participation rates than Chileans. While our country breaks records for low birth rates, their families bring demographic vitality to a society aging at an accelerated pace.
So the question is not whether there will be migration: the question is how we want to live together. From hostility and prejudice, or from trust and recognition? The same study shows that most Chileans are willing to work or study with immigrants (80%), to welcome immigrant friends into their homes (80%), to have an immigrant boss or migrant neighbors (70% each). In other words, we swing between openness to connection and the temptation to stigmatize.
This is not about romanticizing or denying cultural friction. We all know that sometimes the volume of the music or a barbecue on the sidewalk can cause tensions in daily life. But exaggerating these frictions and turning them into excuses for rejection leads nowhere good. The real answer lies in creating spaces for communication: listening carefully, truly getting to know each other, putting problems on the table while also recognizing the opportunities diversity brings.
That is exactly what we will do at the upcoming 3xi Migration Gathering: generate broad and cross-cutting dialogue on how to build a more plural and cohesive Chile.
Migration is not a passing episode: it is part of our present and, above all, of our future. The decision is in our hands: fear or friendship, prejudice or encounter, hostility or shared hope. History teaches that societies able to integrate their diversity become more humane, more creative, and more resilient.
First published in Spanish by El Mostrador and translated and posted in English by Havana Times.