Ecuador Halts Visa Suspension Deal With China Over Surge in Irregular Migration

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - According to data from the national statistics institute, Ecuador recorded 48,381 entries by Chinese nationals and approximately 24,240 exits in 2023, resulting in a discrepancy of 24,141. This is the highest number of any nationality. In contrast, the country recorded approximately 13,000 Chinese nationals entering in 2022.
Sputnik
Ecuador has decided to temporarily suspend a visa suspension agreement with China amid an important surge in the irregular migration of Chinese nationals, the Ecuadoran Foreign Affairs Ministry said on Tuesday.
"The government of Ecuador has decided to temporarily suspend the agreement on the mutual suspension of the visa requirements for holders of ordinary passports between the Republic of Ecuador and the People’s Republic of China," the Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement via the social media platform X.
Ecuador made the decision after observing an "unusual increase" in irregular Chinese migration, which includes individuals who either overstayed their 90-day visa-free period or used Ecuador as a starting point for other destinations in the Americas, the statement said.
The Ecuadorean authorities have also observed that nearly half of the Chinese nationals arriving through legal ports of entry have not left by regular routes and/or within the delays established by law, the statement said.
Ecuador seeks to ensure proper control over migration while enabling tourists to visit under adequate security guarantees and safe from falling prey to human trafficking or migrant smuggling, the statement added.