Chile's decision to regularize undocumented foreign residents will benefit 45,000 people, Raul Paiba, president of the Peruvian Refugees Committee, told media Tuesday.
Paiba's estimate is higher than those published by Chile's government when it launched the initiative which runs from Nov. 5 this year to Feb. 5, 2008.
The initiative aims to provide Chile's undocumented residents -- which the government estimated at 15,000 Peruvians, 2,000 Bolivians and 3,000 of other nationalities -- can work legally and undertake other activities.
"With a Chilean residence permit, one can have access to healthcare and a labor contract, put one's children in school and open a bank account. In short, it means being entitled to rights enjoyed by a legal resident," said Paiba.
According to the initiative, those who entered Chile before Oct. 19 and have no criminal records can benefit from the measure.
Source: Xinhua
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