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In Chile, President José Antonio Kast has set up a task force to track down Haitian children who entered the country last year under suspicious circumstances. Chilean authorities are investigating a possible human trafficking case involving Haitian citizens, which could include airlines, travel agencies, and lawyers, RFI reported on Friday, June 19, 2026.
The investigation was launched after revelations by the Chilean radio station Biobio, which made public a report from the Court of Auditors. It pointed out irregularities in the entry of dozens of Haitian children into the country in 2025. Initial reports had been made as early as 2023 under the previous government of President Gabriel Boric.
It is in the context of family reunifications that these Haitian children reportedly arrived in Chile on charter flights, accompanied by twelve adults with whom they had no family ties.200 children missing
The investigation, which was opened to clarify these events, indicates that the trace of 200 children may have been lost after they entered Chilean territory, which has put the authorities on alert.
President José Antonio Kast then called a crisis meeting on Thursday. “Our focus is precisely to find out where these children are, what conditions they are in, and how to take care of them and protect them in case they are abandoned or in distress,” said Claudio Alvarado, the Interior Minister and government spokesperson.
But several uncertainties remain, particularly regarding the number of children involved. The director of the immigration service insisted there are more than 200, while the report by the Court of Auditors mentions around sixty children unaccounted for. The Attorney General, meanwhile, is cautious and believes the investigation still needs to ‘determine the facts and the number of people affected.’Thursday evening, according to Cooperativa radio, seven children were reportedly found by municipal agents in a town in the center of the capital. All of them were in school and being cared for by responsible adults. Beyond a possible confirmed case of human trafficking, it also seems that there was a serious lack of coordination between the different state services, according to the RFI report.
The Chilean prosecutor’s office announced on Monday, June 15, the opening of an investigation into possible human trafficking after hundreds of Haitian minors entered the country in 2025, without verifying their family ties to the adults accompanying them.
The investigation was triggered following revelations from Chilean radio Biobio, which released a report from the Court of Auditors. It highlighted the entry of hundreds of Haitian children into the territory in 2025, officially as part of family reunification.According to the National Migration Service, at least twelve people have repeatedly entered Chile by presenting themselves as ‘the responsible adults’ for Haitian children and teenagers. The agency has requested the opening of an investigation.
According to a statement from the prosecutor’s office, the family relationship between the escorts and the children ‘would not have been verified by the competent authorities,’ neither during the trip nor upon entry into Chile. ‘These are serious matters that require a specific investigation (…) in order to determine whether they constitute criminal offenses or not,’ said Eugenio Campos, director of the anti-corruption unit of the national prosecutor’s office, in a video sent to the press, reported RFI.On the Haitian side, IBESR issues a reminder
The Institute of Social Welfare and Research, IBESR, in a statement obtained by Le Nouvelliste, reminded people of “the importance of following child protection procedures in international relocations.”
“IBESR appreciates the solidarity of friendly countries that, in response to the crisis Haiti is going through, have set up mechanisms and humanitarian programs aimed notably at helping children reunite with their families. However, having been informed of the arrival in Chile of some Haitian children without the required procedures being fully observed, the Institute wants to remind that, regardless of existing agreements between the countries involved, following national child protection procedures remains an obligation for all parties involved,” reads a statement from IBESR’s general management, June 19, 2026.“The departure authorization issued by IBESR is an essential guarantee that ensures the traceability of children’s movements, verifies the compliance of the steps taken, and safeguards the best interests of each child,” the statement reads.
“IBESR is calling on all relevant stakeholders to strictly observe the current legal and administrative provisions. Protecting children is a shared responsibility that requires vigilance and commitment from everyone,” IBESR stated. “Together, let’s make sure that mechanisms aimed at reuniting families remain, above all, protective measures that can shield children from any form of exploitation, abuse, trafficking, or irregular movement,” according to IBESR’s general management.
