Argentina said it would strengthen its historically loose immigration rules as liberal President Javier Milei cut costs and deepen his political alliance with tough leaders in the United States and Europe.
Presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni told reporters on Wednesday that Argentina will ban convicted criminals from entering, quickly expel those who commit crimes within the country, financial requirements for residency, and accusing immigrants of access to public health care and education.
“We had a time when the immigration regime invited chaos and abuse,” Adoni said. “It’s time to commemorate our history and make Argentina great again.”
Although the reform is not as extreme as the tough immigration policy implemented by Mayer's ally, U.S. President Donald Trump, it is Argentina's departure. The country is largely from immigration, which is rarely a major political issue, with many legal residence and relatively lax immigration enforcement routes.
It reflects Milei's integration of his economic mission to end Argentina's long-term overspending with the right-wing social agenda. The president had previously shut down government departments to address gender and racial discrimination, which he said cost a lot of budget and had limited results.
In a speech at the World Economic Forum in January, liberal economist said that “awakening ideology” is “the cancer that must be eliminated.”
Juan Cruz Díaz, managing director of the Cefeidas Group in Latin America, said Adorni's announcement aims to appeal to conservative voters in Buenos Aires, a leading candidate for Milei's La Libertad Avanza party ahead of local elections that he was closely watched on Sunday.
"La Libertad Avanza is trying to defeat the center-right party with a dominance of the right-wing vote," he said. "The city is probably the most obvious concern in Argentina about the flood of immigration."
Cruz Díaz added: "The government's perspective is more economical than xenophobia...the latter is not a major part of the Argentine national debate."
Adorni said eight public hospitals across the country spent 11.4 billion pesos (about $100 million) to treat foreigners in 2024.
He added that new health care allegations will end the “health tourism industry” and foreigners entering Argentina get free health care before returning home, a big complaint against the northern provincial leaders of the country’s northern province bordering Bolivia and Paraguay.
The reforms will be implemented through presidential decrees in the coming days, and also include acceptance of the requirement for Argentina citizenship, including uninterrupted two years at home.