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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina: Argentina鈥檚 right-wing President Javier Milei issued a decree on Wednesday curbing immigration to the South American nation, a move coinciding with the immigration restrictions put in place by the Trump administration.
In a country that has long prided itself on its openness to immigrants, Milei鈥檚 abrupt measures and declaration that newcomers were bringing 鈥渃haos and abuse鈥� to Argentina drew criticism from his political opponents and prompted comparisons to US President Donald Trump.
Milei鈥檚 government welcomed those parallels to its close American ally, with presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni saying it was 鈥渢ime to honor our history and make Argentina great again.鈥�
Wednesday鈥檚 executive order tightens restrictions on citizenship, requiring immigrants to spend two uninterrupted years in Argentina or make a significant financial investment in the country to secure an Argentine passport.
Immigrants seeking permanent residency must show proof of income or 鈥渟ufficient means鈥� and have clean criminal records in their home countries.
The decree makes it much easier for the government to deport migrants who enter the country illegally, falsify their immigration documents or commit minor crimes in Argentina. Previously, authorities could only expel or deny entry to a foreigner with a conviction of more than three years.
It also asks the judiciary to fast-track otherwise lengthy immigration court proceedings.
鈥淔or some time now, we鈥檝e had regulations that invite chaos and abuse by many opportunists who are far from coming to this country in an honest way,鈥� Adorni told reporters. The presidential spokesperson is also the main candidate for Milei鈥檚 La Libertad Avanza party running in the key Buenos Aires legislative elections Sunday.
In a big shift, the new decree also charges foreigners to access Argentina鈥檚 public health care and education while mandating that all travelers to the country hold health insurance. Adorni claimed that public hospitals had spent some $100 million on treating foreigners last year, without offering evidence.
鈥淭his measure aims to guarantee the sustainability of the public health system, so that it ceases to be a profit center financed by our citizens,鈥� he said.
Foreign residents from all over the world have been guaranteed free access to Argentina鈥檚 extensive education and health systems since a 2003 law under then-President N茅stor Kirchner, a left-leaning populist. Public universities and hospitals are now struggling to cope with sharp government spending cuts under Milei鈥檚 austerity program.
Right-wing politicians for years have railed against what Adorni described on Wednesday as 鈥渉ealth tours,鈥� in which people hop over the border, get treatment and go back home. Already, several northern provinces and the city of Buenos Aires have started charging non-resident foreigners fees to access health care.
Adorni said the decree allows universities to introduce fees for foreign studies if they so choose.
Critics worried that the new rules would challenge Argentina鈥檚 tradition of openness written over waves of migration through the decades. Although bursts of xenophobia have prompted crackdowns at various moments of turmoil, Argentina has welcomed surges of foreigners from all over Latin America, the Arab world, Asia and, more recently, Russia, offering a path to citizenship and ensuring their right to basic services.