Ecuador is to suspend a visa waiver agreement with China, citing a “worrying increase” in arrivals after the South American country became an important staging post on a global migrant route to the US.
The country’s foreign ministry said nearly half of Chinese travellers who entered Ecuador did not leave “through regular routes” or within the 90 days permitted.
Many global migrants headed to the US land in Ecuador, which has fewer visa restrictions than other South American countries. The onward journey north includes the Darién Gap, a treacherous tract that separates Colombia and Panama. There, migrants are vulnerable to crime, sexual violence and the hazards of the jungle.
Chinese people are increasingly part of that migration flow. Last year, the number of Chinese people attempting to cross the US southern border skyrocketed, with US Customs and Border Protection detaining more than 37,000 Chinese citizens, up 10-fold from 2022.
About 66,000 Chinese travellers entered Ecuador last year, while only 34,000 left through regular channels, according to officials.
In response to a question about the waiver suspension, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the agreement with Quito “plays an important and positive role in promoting cross-border travel and practical co-operation in various fields between the two countries”.
Lin added that China was working with other countries to tackle human smuggling.
The suspension of the waiver is temporary and will come into effect on 1 July, Ecuadorean officials said, adding that Ecuador “reiterates its commitment so that people who visit the country can do so with adequate security guarantees, preventing them from being victims of human trafficking or migrant smuggling”.
The mutual visa waiver programme between China and Ecuador has been in place since 2016. Suriname is the only other country on the South American continent to grant visa-free travel to Chinese nationals.
Tuesday’s announcement comes as Quito and Beijing have deepened ties in recent years, signing a free trade agreement in May last year.
China is Ecuador’s largest non-oil trade partner and has been an important source of financing for infrastructure and energy.