Ecuador suspends visa waiver for Chinese citizens, citing irregular migration
- Ecuador has become a popular starting point for Chinese migrants who trek northward through Central America before entering the US
Ecuador on Tuesday announced the suspension of an agreement with China that had waived visas for Chinese citizens travelling to the South American country, citing a “worrying” increase in irregular migration.
Ecuador’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the suspension of the bilateral agreement is temporary and it will start on July 1.
It added that the measure was taken after authorities saw that around 50 per cent of Chinese nationals entering Ecuador didn’t leave the country “through regular routes” nor within the permitted 90 days they were allowed to stay under the waiver agreement.
The development would effectively mean that Ecuador was reinstating visas for Chinese citizens, but the foreign ministry did not provide any details.
Since 2023, people from China are among the top nationalities of migrants reaching the United States.
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Influx of Chinese migrants on hazardous Central American route to reach US
Ecuador, one of the only two mainland countries in the Americas that offer visa-free entry to Chinese nationals, has become a popular starting point for Chinese migrants who would then trek northward through Central America before entering the United States. The other country is the Republic of Suriname.
