Thousands of Venezuelans crossed into Peru despite a crackdown on migrants without passports or visas meant to stem the flood of immigration from their crisis-stricken nation, as many lacking those documents filed asylum requests instead.
Venezuela's economic collapse under President Nicolas Maduro has unleashed the biggest migratory crisis in recent Latin American history, forcing countries like Peru — a developing nation of 32 million people — to grapple with an unprecedented surge in immigration.
Under the new rules imposed on Saturday, migrants must have passports and visas before coming to Peru — closing a door to many Venezuelans who cannot afford the fees needed to acquire them.